A new “helicopter only” FBO has opened in Kearny, N.J., half a mile from exit 15E of the New Jersey Turnpike and only two minutes’ flying time from Manhattan. Helo Holdings began transient operations in mid-January. The 7.25-acre FBO offers fuel and maintenance services to based tenants and pre-approved transient traffic. There are two “hot” refueling pads. The facility includes 12 outdoor parking spaces, a 30,000-square-foot Class 1 hangar, administrative offices and a pilots’ lounge with snooze rooms, showers and high-speed Internet. The heliport is located in a heavily industrialized area and accessible over water via the local Turnpike and Holland helicopter routes. Charter operator and helicopter maintenance provider Analar is the anchor tenant and additional tenants are expected to be signed in the near future, according to a Helo Holdings spokesman.

The spokesman said that the heliport currently has 8 to 15 transient operations per day–a mix of charter, air tour and corporate traffic. He emphasized that the heliport is an “invitation only” facility. Operators wishing to use the heliport must first contact Helo Holdings’ director of operations, Mike Renz, and must have proper insurance and demonstrate familiarity with routings and local procedures, including noise abatement and communications. The heliport sits within the airspace under the control of Newark tower. 

Analar is the sole authorized maintenance provider for transient traffic at the heliport and has expertise in Agusta, Bell, Eurocopter and Sikorsky aircraft. The company will continue to maintain its heavy maintenance facility at Princeton, N.J. Helo Holdings tenants will be allowed to perform their own maintenance, the spokesman said.