(WNY News Now) In response to a drone mishap that caused runways at Stewart Airfield to be briefly closed for an hour on Friday night, Governor Kathy Hochul has released a firm statement. Hochul urged immediate federal action to combat the growing threat presented by unlicensed drone activities near key infrastructure, calling the disruption a step too far.
Due to drone activities in the airspace last night, Stewart Airfield’s runways were closed for almost one hour. This has gotten out of hand.
To combat this issue, I instructed the New York State Intelligence Center to look into drone sightings and work with federal law enforcement in mid-November, and those efforts are still going strong. However, I am now urging Congress to enact the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act so that state law enforcement can address this issue. This measure would improve the FAA’s drone monitoring, reform legal authority to combat UAS, and expand counter-UAS operations to include a few state and local law enforcement organizations.
It is imperative that these rights be extended to New York State and our colleagues. To protect our vital infrastructure and our citizens, the Biden Administration must intervene by sending more federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding area until state and local officials are given those authorities.