The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday issued a ban on drone flights over nearly two dozen communities across New Jersey in the wake of ongoing complaints about brightly colored — and largely unexplained — flying objects filling the night skies over the Garden State.
These temporary flight restrictions (TFR) are in place “prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure,” according to an FAA statement.
The TFRs, which are set to last until Jan. 17, cover a huge swath of central and northern New Jersey, the nation’s 11th-most-populous state with more than 9 million residents.
Drone prohibitions go as far south as Hancocks Bridge and as far north as Cedar Grove and Clifton.
Other notable communities impacted by these new TFRs include Elizabeth, the state’s fourth-most-populous city, Philadelphia neighbor Camden and the port city of Bayonne.
For about the past month, drones have reportedly been lighting up the night skies with no real explanation of who is operating them and the purpose of the flights.
There has been, though, creeping skepticism about whether most of the reports are due to people mistaking stars or the routine fights of aircraft for drones.
Alarmed New Jersey residents and local politicians have been demanding information about the nightly hovering objects. No person, group or government agency has taken responsibility for them.
Stephanie Scrafano contributed.
