FAA BANS DRONES IN PARTS OF NEW JERSEY

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ban on drone operations in dozens of areas of New Jersey and New York until mid-January, unless operators are granted special permission from the government due to "special security reasons."

Uncrewed aerial drones have been lighting up the sky at night in New Jersey and nearby states for weeks, since about mid-November, leading to concern from residents and speculation online. Some had demanded answers from local and state officials for answers.

"At the request of federal security partners, the FAA published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure," the FAA said in a statement Thursday.

The temporary flight restrictions in New Jersey, which are set to last until Jan. 17, have been implemented beginning Wednesday in the following locations: Hamilton, Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, North Brunswick, Metuchen, Evesham, Camden, Gloucester City, Westampton, South Brunswick, Edison, Branchburg, Sewaren, Jersey City, Harrison, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Winslow, Burlington, Clifton, Hancocks Bridge and Kearny.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the flight restrictions were issued "out of an abundance of caution."

"We continue to assess there is no public safety threat relating to the reported drone sightings," the spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. "In coordination with the FAA and our critical infrastructure partners who requested temporary flight restrictions over their facilities, out of an abundance of caution, the FAA has issued temporary flight restrictions over some critical infrastructure facilities in New Jersey."

Following New Jersey's lead, on Thursday night, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced federal partners and the FAA will also grant temporary flight restrictions over some of the state's critical infrastructure sites.

Similarly, Hochul said the action is "purely precautionary" and that "there are no threats to these sites."