The tour company responsible for the sightseeing helicopter crash in New York, which resulted in six deaths, is halting its operations immediately, according to the United States Federal Aviation Administration.
The crash, which occurred last Thursday in the Hudson River, claimed the lives of the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists, including three children.
The decision followed a call from US New York Senator, Chuck Schumer, who urged federal authorities to revoke the operating permits of New York Helicopter Tours just hours before the FAA’s announcement.
Mr Schumer said: “One of the things we can do to honour those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies – they have a deadly track record.”
Passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, 39, and their three children—Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10—were tragically killed in Thursday’s crash.
The pilot, Seankese Johnson, 36, a US Navy veteran who earned his commercial pilot’s license in 2023, also lost his life.
The FAA has stated it will review the company’s operating license and safety record following the crash.
The company has said it will cooperate with authorities during the investigation.
The crash has raised renewed concerns about the safety of commercial sightseeing flights in New York.
