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Teterboro Airport

From Alfawiki
Teterboro Airport
Company typePublic
IndustryAviation
Founded1919
Headquarters
Teterboro, New Jersey
,
United States
Area served
Bergen County, New Jersey; New York metropolitan area
Key people
AFCO AvPORTS Management (day-to-day management)
ProductsGeneral aviation services, private and corporate air travel
OwnerPort Authority of New York and New Jersey
Number of employees
1,137+
Websitewww.panynj.gov/airports/teterboro.html

Teterboro Airport serves as a general aviation reliever airport situated within the boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey. It is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with day-to-day management handled by AFCO AvPORTS Management. Positioned roughly north-northwest of Midtown Manhattan, it plays a vital role in private and corporate air travel. The airport restricts aircraft exceeding in weight, thereby excluding commercial airline operations.

Encompassing , the airport dedicates for hangars and office space, utilizes for aeronautical purposes including runways, while leaving undeveloped. The workforce exceeds 1,137 employees, with over 90% employed full-time.

In 2019, Teterboro managed 173,625 aircraft movements and hosted 121 aircraft based on-site. It is home to numerous private charter companies operating both domestically and internationally.

According to a 2009 FAA report, Teterboro ranked third nationally for wildlife strikes relative to takeoffs and landings—recording 43 incidents per 100,000 operations—underscoring unique operational challenges tied to its location.

History

As the oldest active airport in the New York City region, Teterboro Airport has a rich history. Walter C. Teter (1863–1929) purchased the land in 1917. During World War I, North American Aviation operated a manufacturing facility there. Post-war, the site became a base for Dutch aviation pioneer Anthony Fokker. The inaugural flight from this location took place in 1919. In 1926, Colonial Air Transport based at Teterboro became the first private firm to fly mail via air.

During World War II, the airport was utilized by the United States Army. On April 1, 1949, ownership transferred to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey from private owner Fred L. Wehran. The Port Authority leased it to Pan American World Airways (later to Johnson Controls) for three decades until assuming full operational control on December 1, 2000.

Since 1977, aircraft weighing more than have been prohibited from departing Teterboro, effectively barring commercial airline service. In 2003, Congressman Steve Rothman secured federal legislation to formalize this restriction due to noise concerns impacting nearby residential neighborhoods.

Recent statistics

In 2019, Teterboro Airport logged 173,625 aircraft operations—46,047 fewer than Republic Airport—making it the second busiest general aviation airport in the area. When considering all airports including Kennedy (463,198), Newark (449,543), and LaGuardia (374,539), it ranked fifth overall.

Operations fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to 86,465 flights. Despite this reduction, Teterboro surpassed Republic in transient flight activity; however, Republic maintained higher local general aviation traffic with 165,250 flights.

Facilities

Teterboro Airport covers an area of , situated at an elevation of .

Buildings

The airport contains nineteen hangars totaling about . Two primary office buildings located at 90 Moonachie Avenue and Fred Wehran Drive (which includes facilities for the Department of Homeland Security) provide . Additional office and workshop spaces cover , complemented by an operations building, maintenance center, and two fuel storage farms.

Additionally, the airport is home to the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey.

Control tower

Managed by the FAA since October 29, 1975, the control tower is positioned on the eastern side of the airport. While the original tower structure still exists as part of the wooden Atlantic Aviation hangar on Industrial Avenue, it is no longer in use.

Runways

Runway 6-24 spans 5,001 feet in length and 150 feet in width, featuring High Intensity Runway Lights (HIRL). Runway 6 is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and a Medium Approach Lighting System-R (MALS-R). On the opposite end, Runway 24 includes Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) and Runway End Identification Lights (REIL). This runway underwent resurfacing and grooving in 1987.

Runway 1-19 measures 4,415 feet long and 100 feet wide, with HIRL and REIL installed at both thresholds. Runway 1 is fitted with a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI), whereas Runway 19 offers both ILS and PAPI systems. The runway received an overlay and grooving treatment in 2000, along with added centerline and touchdown zone lighting. Noise abatement procedures favor the use of Runway 19.

Taxiways

The airport contains roughly 13,000 feet of taxiways, predominantly 50 feet wide, equipped with centerline and edge lighting for guidance.

Aircraft

In 2017, Teterboro Airport logged a total of 178,369 aircraft movements, averaging about 488 daily operations. The distribution included 65.6% general aviation flights, 34% air taxi services, 0.3% military operations, and less than 1% airline traffic. There were 121 aircraft based at the airport: jets comprised 81%, helicopters accounted for 10.7%, single-engine planes made up 6.6%, and multi-engine aircraft represented 1.7%.

Other

Founded in 1972 and situated on airport property, the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey honors significant aeronautical accomplishments within the state. The museum features historic aviation and space artifacts, photographs, fine art pieces, models, and maintains a library housing over 4,000 volumes as well as numerous aviation-related videos.

Public transportation

Teterboro Airport is reachable from Midtown Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal via New Jersey Transit routes including the regular route 161, limited weekday service on route 165, and peak weekday route 144. Rail access is available nearby at Teterboro station on NJ Transit’s Pascack Valley Line; additionally, Wood-Ridge station lies close to the southwest.

Notable incidents

In both 1956 and 1958, pilot Thomas Fitzpatrick famously flew stolen aircraft from Teterboro Airport, landing them on streets in Manhattan.

In June of 1966, a Piper Aztec crashed near Hasbrouck Heights while en route to Teterboro; the pilot sustained injuries while transporting Eastman Kodak film.

On September 23, 1981, a midair collision took place approximately three miles south of Teterboro involving a Ronson Aviation Bell 206B helicopter and a Seminole Air Charier Piper PA-34. Both occupants of the helicopter were killed; meanwhile, the airplane managed an emergency landing despite injuries to its crew.

A small plane crash occurred on December 9, 1999 in Hasbrouck Heights resulting in four fatalities onboard and three injuries among people on the ground.

On March 9, 2002, shortly after departing from Teterboro, a Cessna 210 crashed killing the pilot; the aircraft narrowly missed vehicles traveling on US 46.

A Piper Saratoga crash on September 9, 2002 caused two fatalities among parents and critically injured two children soon after takeoff from Teterboro; significant property damage was reported.

On February 2, 2005, a Bombardier Challenger CL-600 overshot Teterboro’s runway during rush hour traffic and crossed US 46 into a warehouse. Twenty individuals were injured including pilots with serious conditions as well as vehicle occupants. This incident led to federal legislation mandating engineered materials arrestor systems at airports across the United States.

A fatal crash involving a Cessna 177A happened on September 2, 2005 while attempting an emergency landing at Teterboro.

On October 11, 2006, a Cirrus SR20 collided with an apartment building in Manhattan; both pilot Cory Lidle and his instructor perished. Following this accident, the FAA imposed flight restrictions along the East River corridor.

Two midair collisions over the Hudson River involved departures from Teterboro—in one case in 1976 and another high-profile event in 2009—prompting FAA implementation of new flight procedures that separate helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft by altitude over the river.

On August 21, 2009 a Beechcraft Baron crashed near Teterboro; both occupants survived but suffered burns. The aircraft was carrying blood samples intended for Quest Diagnostics’ nearby laboratory.

A TBM700 crash near Morristown on December 20, 2011 resulted in five passenger fatalities shortly after leaving Teterboro.

On May 15, 2017, a Learjet 35 stalled during approach to Runway 1 at Teterboro and crashed; both pilots died. Subsequently, the NTSB recommended enhanced operator training programs to address crew performance issues identified during this accident.

In popular culture

In January 1954, Arthur Godfrey flew his Douglas DC-3 unusually close to the Teterboro control tower, which led to a six-month suspension of his pilot's license. Godfrey explained that gusty winds compelled an abrupt turn immediately after takeoff, though the true cause was his frustration over being denied runway clearance. Later, in 1961, he released a satirical 45-RPM single titled "Teterboro Tower," inspired by this episode.

On July 24, 1973, photographer Bob Gruen captured an iconic image of Led Zeppelin posed in front of The Starship, their private Boeing 720, just prior to a concert in Pittsburgh. This photograph has since become emblematic of the band.

Teterboro Airport is featured in the concluding scene of the 1994 movie Wolf, where a character mentions chartering a plane from the airport. The facility also appears in two episodes of The Sopranos—once serving as a substitute for Newark Liberty International Airport and another time referenced by name during the series finale.

In 2003, rapper Jay-Z referred to Teterboro as "clearport" in his track "Excuse Me Miss", emphasizing its relatively lighter air traffic compared to other major airports serving the New York metropolitan area.

The 2014 sports film Draft Day includes a scene where the fictional owner of the Cleveland Browns insists on being transported from the NFL Draft event in Manhattan to Teterboro Airport.

Teterboro is identified as a possible emergency landing site for US Airways Flight 1549 in the 2016 motion picture Sully, reflecting its actual involvement during that incident.

The airport is mentioned in the season one finale of the 2021 television series Chucky as the destination for a shipment of Good Guy dolls.

In the 2022 film Uncharted, characters journey to Barcelona with Teterboro Airport serving as their point of departure.

Also in 2022, Teterboro was used as a filming location for Netflix’s comedy series The Pentaverate, featuring a scene with a remotely operated helicopter landing.

In June 2022, Marvel Comics’ New Fantastic Four debut issue includes a reference to Teterboro when Wolverine tells Spider-Man they have a taxi waiting to take them there.

Most recently, Teterboro appeared in episode three of HBO’s fourth season of Succession in 2023.

See also

External links

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