The New York-based sightseeing helicopter company at the center of last week’s tragic Hudson River crash — which killed six people, including young children — has officially halted all operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced the decision on X, Sunday evening.

Many questions remain after last week’s horrific helicopter crash in New York. While social media has been flooded with theories, the official investigation is still ongoing.

On board were six people, including 49-year-old Agustín Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three young children — two sons, aged 4 and 11, and a daughter who was set to celebrate her 9th birthday. The pilot was later identified as 36-year-old Seankese Johnson, a decorated former Navy SEAL, according to city officials.

Halting all operations
The helicopter involved in the incident — a Bell 206 — was part of the New York Helicopter Tours fleet, known for offering expensive sightseeing flights over Manhattan. Before Thursday’s tragedy, it had completed countless tours above the city skyline.

Now, following the deadly crash, the company at the center of the disaster is shutting down all operations immediately, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Sunday.

The FAA also confirmed it is launching a full review of New York Helicopter Tours’ safety history and operating license. The agency noted that it will continue working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board as the investigation into the deadly crash moves forward.

Earlier the same day, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer called on federal officials to revoke the company’s certification in the wake of the disaster.

”We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: they have a deadly track record … and it is usually the companies, not the pilots, that are openly manipulating (FAA) rules, cutting corners and could well be putting profits over people,” Schumer said.

“One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try and save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Along with suspending helicopter tours, Senator Chuck Schumer is also urging the FAA to ramp up surprise inspections — known as ramp checks — at other sightseeing helicopter companies in New York City.

Unannounced inspections
These unannounced inspections are designed to make sure operators and aircraft are meeting all safety standards.

New York Helicopter Charter, known for its sightseeing tours around New York City, has faced multiple incidents involving mechanical failures and dangerous crashes over the years.

In 2013, a sightseeing helicopter operated by the company, carrying a family of four from Sweden, lost power mid-flight and had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River near Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

The main rotor detached mid-air and kept spinning as it fell. That’s not a crash, that’s a mechanical meltdown. Someone needs to explain how a $7M machine unzips itself in the sky. #HudsonRiver #HelicopterCrash #WTF pic.twitter.com/GjwKIH1U8Q

— The TROVE (@TresslessTrove) April 10, 2025

Two years later, another helicopter operated by the same company crashed in northern New Jersey after losing control just 20 feet above the ground.

Investigations revealed that the aircraft had a faulty drive shaft, which had been improperly reused after being involved in a previous hard landing in Chile.

According to New York Times, the company has had legal disputes as well. After the 2013 emergency landing, New York Helicopter Charter sued the maintenance company responsible for the repairs, claiming negligence in preventing the mechanical issues. This case was closed in 2018, though the outcome remains unclear.

Financial difficulties
In recent years, the company has also faced financial difficulties, with one of its helicopters being repossessed in December due to unpaid lease payments. New York Helicopter Charter had filed for bankruptcy in 2019, citing financial challenges from changing city policies regarding air traffic in New York.

The debate over helicopter traffic in Manhattan has been heating up in recent years, especially as complaints about the noise continue to pile up. For many residents, the nonstop whirring of blades overhead is more than just a nuisance — it’s a daily disruption.

Supporters of the flights argue they offer a one-of-a-kind way to experience the city’s skyline, but growing concerns around safety have added new urgency to the discussion.

In fact, the string of deadly incidents over the years has only fueled calls to ground non-essential helicopters for good. Between 1977 and 2019, at least 32 people lost their lives in helicopter crashes across New York City, according to The Associated Press.

One of the most infamous crashes happened in 2018, when a “doors-off” helicopter tour ended in tragedy. Five passengers drowned after the chopper went down in the East River — all of them trapped in their harnesses and unable to escape. That crash pushed the FAA to impose stricter rules around these types of flights.

Grounding all choppers?
New York City Councilwoman Amanda Farías, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Economic Development, has also called for stronger oversight. On Friday, she said there needs to be “a serious reevaluation of current policies” and pushed for the city “to consider an immediate moratorium on non-essential helicopter flights from city-owned heliports while investigations are ongoing.”

However, not everyone agrees with the idea of grounding choppers. The Eastern Region Helicopter Council, which represents operators in the area, says a full ban isn’t the right answer.

“The helicopter community is in shock and mourning after the tragic and horrific events,” said chairman Jeff Smith in a statement. “Unfortunately, some well-meaning but misguided leaders are using this tragedy to exploit and push their decades-old agenda to ban all helicopters. Before taking legislative action, we need to learn more from the investigation.”