FAA moves ahead with LaGuardia departure changes that anger locals

After a six-month testing period in which the Federal Aviation Administration tested controversial changes in departure procedures at LaGuardia Airport, one northeast Queens lawmaker said the agency has committed to implementing the plan.

Over the summer, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) joined with state Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) and other northeast Queens community leaders to protest what their constituents reported as a deafening sound caused by new plane traffic over their neighborhoods.

The senator said in a statement Tuesday that the FAA has ignored the lawmakers’ opposition and intends to move forward with the changes in departure procedures.