Kearny sues Helo Holdings over South Kearny heliport; County files as interested party

Kearny has taken the South Kearny heliport operator to Superior Court — and Hudson County says it is lining up behind the town.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy applauded the Town of Kearny’s lawsuit against heliport operator Helo Holdings Inc. (HHI) in the Chancery Division of New Jersey Superior Court. HHI operates in the South Kearny portion of the town, according to a County press statement provided to Hudson TV.

In June, Guy and the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners entered a shared services agreement to coordinate legal action and share legal expenses aimed at curbing the impacts of tourist helicopters over Hudson County municipalities, the statement said.

Hudson County has filed papers asking to be included as an interested party, which would let the County file briefs and certifications in support of Kearny’s suit. The release said Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, and Union City are expected to make similar applications.

“For years, Hudson County has been inundated with the relentless whirring of helicopters flying low over our communities, creating excessive noise and safety concerns for our residents. With the filing of this lawsuit, we will fight to ensure that the heliport operator is held accountable for its actions,” Guy said in the statement. “Government works best when the County partners with our municipalities to work on behalf of our residents and we will keep fighting to ensure that HHI abides by agreements it previously made.”

Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle said the town is “happy to take the lead in filing this lawsuit,” adding that Kearny residents and others across Hudson County “deserve a high quality of life and this lawsuit will ensure the lives of our residents will not be harassed by constant helicopter flights.”

U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (NJ-08) said he commended Guy and the cities “for holding HHI accountable,” and that he has fought to stop “dangerous, nonessential helicopter flights” since coming to Congress.

Sen. Raj Mukherji (NJ-32), vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, framed the case as broken promises: “You don’t get cleared for one flight plan and then fly another. A zoning approval is a promise to the community. This lawsuit is about accountability for ignoring enforceable commitments and standing up for the families who have been forced to suffer the consequences for years.” Mukherji is the primary sponsor of pending legislation that the release says would have the effect of curbing nonessential helicopter traffic.

Bayonne Mayor Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski said residents “have long been frustrated by rampant helicopter flights,” and applauded the County’s effort to bring affected municipalities together.

Hoboken Mayor Emily B. Jabbour said residents “should not have to choose between enjoying their homes and enduring the constant disruption of helicopter noise,” and that Hoboken is “proud to stand alongside Hudson County and our neighboring communities.”

Jersey City Mayor James Solomon cast the fight as regional: “Jersey City is proud to join Hoboken, Bayonne, Kearny, and Hudson County in this lawsuit, because a regional problem demands a regional response and no single town should have to take on these operators alone. The heliport has run thousands of flights outside the hours it agreed to, and after the crash that killed a family of five last year, the case for an injunction could not be stronger. These flights are a noise nuisance in our neighborhoods and a safety risk for our residents. We are putting our resources behind this litigation, and we will see it through until commercial helicopter traffic over our neighborhoods is brought under control.”

Solomon’s “thousands of flights” claim and the crash reference are his statements in the County release. The April 2025 Hudson River sightseeing crash that killed a Spanish family of five and the pilot is widely reported; that flight is not identified in major coverage as an HHI Kearny departure.

Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack said he applauds “this effort to enhance the local quality of life for residents” and looks forward to “continuing this fight on their behalf.”

At a courthouse-steps press conference documented by HudCoTV, Guy was asked about the tourism industry’s stake. His audible answer, captured in a HudCoTV Short posted Tuesday evening: “Follow the damn law!” — then, after applause: “Can’t say it any clearer.”

County Flickr photos from the event show Guy and municipal/state/federal partners on the steps of the building at 583 Newark Avenue in Jersey City (Historic William J. Brennan Courthouse area), with the Hudson County seal on the podium.

HHI / Helo Holdings did not provide a comment in the County press packet reviewed for this article. Hudson TV will update if the operator responds.

Doubt angle — who benefits, what doesn’t fit

• Interested party vs. plaintiff: The release says Kearny filed the suit; the County is asking to be an interested party, not announcing itself as co-plaintiff. Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, and Union City are described as expected to file similar applications — not confirmed stamped joinders in the release. Political rhetoric (“joins … in filing”) can outrun the paperwork.
• Agreements / zoning need documents: Officials allege HHI blew past zoning approvals and operating-hour commitments. A June 2025 County release described HHI CEO Jeff Hyman pledging that 90% of Kearny heliport trips would fall in set daytime windows — but the complaint exhibits, Zoning Board Resolution 2014.14 text, and flight logs are not in this packet. Solomon’s “thousands of flights outside the hours” remains his claim until court filings or flight data say otherwise.
• Crash as injunction fuel: Officials invoke last year’s deadly Hudson River sightseeing crash. Wire/NTSB reporting places that tour with a Manhattan-based operator, not as a proven HHI Kearny flight. Safety politics and legal causation are not the same thing — attribute, don’t conflate.
• Defendant silence: No HHI response to the Chancery filing appears in the release or the HudCoTV Short. Prior Hyman quotes from 2025 do not answer today’s lawsuit.
• Filing-day wording: The written release says “Today” for Guy’s applause of Kearny’s filing; HudCoTV’s video description calls it “yesterday’s filing” relative to the Sep 29 presser. No public docket stamp time was available at publish.

Hudson TV asks: Should Hudson towns keep pressing Helo Holdings in Chancery for zoning and hour limits (COURT), or cut a new written operating deal with the heliport first (DEAL)?

Share your take in the comments — and tell us which option you’d pick and why.

React: reply COURT or DEAL (or OTHER + your idea).