Teterboro Airport Grows, Evolves In Busy Airspace

TETERBORO, New Jersey - Residing in one of the most congested air traffic areas in the country, the preeminent U.S. airport for business jets is a case study in the interdependencies of the national airspace system.

Twelve miles from midtown Manhattan, on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, Teterboro Airport (TEB) is the oldest operating airport in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area. In the 105 years since investment banker Walter C. Teter erected it from swampland in 1917-19, TEB has evolved into a perennial industry leader in aircraft movements, even as it defends against persistent complaints over noise in an environment shaped by the FAA’s management of the airspace.

Close proximity to New York City has an obvious allure, as evidenced by some of the companies that do business at TEB. Major fixed-base operators (FBO) Atlantic Aviation, Jet Aviation and Signature Aviation have facilities there, and fractional operator NetJets plans to open an exclusive-use FBO for its owners in the former Signature South terminal next year.

Dassault Falcon Jet established its corporate headquarters at TEB in 1997. Earlier this year, Signature acquired family-owned Meridian, the lone remaining independent FBO at the airport, which had been founded in 1946.