FirstFlight Has Never Operated Heliport In Big City

The decision by officials in New York City to award a Wall Street heliport to an upstate company has drawn the ire of other helicopter operators in the city, and resulted in a lawsuit.

The New York Times reports Elmira-based FirstFlight has never operated a heliport in a major metropolitan area... but was selected by the city's Economic Development Corporation to operate the Downtown Manhattan/Wall Street Heliport (JRB) over a rival bid by established operator Atlantic Aviation.

Operating rights for the heliport came available after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey opted to discontinue operations at the East River location, adjacent to the financial district. Several companies bid for the lucrative concession, until officials narrowed the field down to Atlantic and FirstFlight.

Another bidder for the contract was Linden Airport Management Corporation, which runs a New Jersey field that caters to helicopter operations. The company filed suit against the city April 22, claiming the bidding process raised "serious issues relating to the integrity and legality of how contracts are awarded in the City of New York by state actors influenced by political considerations to the detriment of professed bidding procedures."

Linden claims impropriety because one of FirstFlight's directors is Alvin Trenk, whose family controls another company, Air Pegasus, which runs the West 30th Street heliport (JRA). Trenk's son Jeffrey was once a director, and also holds authority over Air Pegasus; the company's chairman is attorney William Wachtel, who owns a Hudson River ferry service.

Tour operators say they don't want Air Pegasus to have control over two out of three major heliports in the New York area.

A spokeswoman for the EDC said it followed standard procedures in awarding the bid to FirstFlight... but declined to explain what factor influenced the decision to give FirstFlight the contract.

FMI: www.nycedc.com