By Ryan Agosto, Staff Writer
On Thursday, Apr. 10., one of New York City’s helicopter tours went from enjoyment to devastation as the aircraft crashed into the Hudson River, killing all six passengers aboard. According to AP News, this is one of the many aircraft collisions resulting in the death of 20 people since 2005.
Since this recent incident, many have questioned whether or not the helicopter tours in New York are safe to resume.
Following the accident, Mayor Eric Adams publicly stated that he has no desire to suspend or limit the helicopters in the air, as it allows for police work, transportation, and because of other helicopter tours that frequently happen with no accident or issue.
In contrast to the Mayor, Senator Chuck Schumer believes that an investigation needs to be conducted on the company responsible for the crash. The Guardian reports he wants New York Helicopter Tours to postpone all future flights until the cause is determined.
As the investigation continues, LIU students have expressed an array of opinions.
Senior Musical Theater Major Vincent Nigero believes that all parties involved should take their time in discerning whether or not the helicopters are safe to operate.
“I understand that everyone is really concerned about helicopter travel and safety, but we can’t jump to any conclusions yet. We don’t know how or why any of this happened, and until we do, I think we should keep a limit on the helicopters we put in the air,” Nigero said.
While politicians think immediate action is necessary, others think a more intricate approach will be beneficial to the case.
Senior Psychology Major Kaitlyn Lutz views different types of tourism as an individual person’s choice.
“It is up to each person to choose what particular tour they embark on. Different kinds of tours allow people to be accommodated based on their own opinions,” Lutz said. “Touring is not something that should be endangering your life. It should be a peaceful and fun experience. I personally believe walking is the best way to take a tour because you set the pace instead of rushing it.”
People feel limited when tourism is controlled, as it dissociates them from the idea of freedom and choice.
New York City taking control of the situation in the aftermath of the accident can potentially impact the future of helicopter tourism. AP News reports Senator Chuck Schumer has asked the FAA rescind the company’s license, while the FAA themselves have gone on record to state that they would like to examine the companies safety record and their license.
Following the accident, the company CEO immediately fired their director of operations after he (the director) had agreed to FAA requests of ceasing operations, keeping the companies opinions and activities in opposition of the FAA and Senator Schumer, with no concern shown towards the accident that occured.
While the investigation still goes on, the future of how tourism shall be defined is up in the air as some wish for it to remain free to the tourists themselves, while politicians are posing talks and questions to make an effort to change how tourism is conducted.
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