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Drones Banned in New Jersey After Mysterious Sightings

The ban, which begins on Wednesday and ends on Jan. 17, covers 22 New Jersey towns that house “critical New Jersey infrastructure.”

After weeks of mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a month-long ban on drone flights over a large portion of the state. The ban, which begins on Wednesday and ends on Jan. 17, covers 22 New Jersey towns that house “critical New Jersey infrastructure,” and includes the state’s biggest cities: Newark, Elizabeth and Jersey City. A Homeland Security spokeswoman said in a statement that the drones don’t pose a public safety threat, and the ban was implemented “out of an abundance of caution” at the request of “our critical infrastructure partners.” The presence of the drones, which were first spotted a month ago in New Jersey and have since appeared in other East Coast states, has stoked fear and confusion among residents. In response, several U.S. defense agencies said that the drone sightings were a combination of lawful drones, planes and helicopters. Now only government drones will be permitted to fly unchecked. Commercial drones will have to apply for a permit.