Updated July 2026 10 GUIDES • CLASS B AIRSPACE

LAANC in NYC: How to Get Airspace Authorization (2026)

Every borough of New York City sits under the Class B airspace of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark — which means FAA authorization before almost every flight. Here is how LAANC delivers it in near real time, which apps to use in 2026, what the grid ceilings mean, and what to do when the answer is no.

The short answer

For almost every drone flight in New York City, you need LAANC authorization before you launch. All five boroughs sit under the Class B airspace of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, so flying means FAA authorization at or below the UAS Facility Map grid ceiling for your location — requested in near real time through an FAA-approved app such as Aloft, or manually via FAA DroneZone where LAANC is unavailable or a higher altitude is needed. LAANC covers both Part 107 and recreational flyers. But it is FAA-side only: New York City separately requires the NYPD take-off and landing permit under Admin Code §10-126, so a fully legal flight needs both approvals. Below: 10 guides covering the apps, the grids, and what to do when LAANC says no.

Before you request

LAANC in New York City at a glance

Five facts frame every airspace authorization in the five boroughs. Get these clear and the rest of the process makes sense:

  • LAANC is the FAA's fast lane — the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability grants near-real-time authorization to fly in controlled airspace, at or below published grid ceilings
  • All of NYC is controlled airspace — the Class B shells of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark cover all five boroughs, so almost every flight needs authorization
  • Access is through approved apps — FAA-approved service suppliers such as Aloft handle requests; AirMap has been discontinued and its users moved to other suppliers
  • Grid ceilings decide what is possible — many NYC squares carry low ceilings, and zero-foot grids near the airports mean no LAANC authorization there at all
  • LAANC is only half the approval — New York City separately requires the NYPD take-off and landing permit under Admin Code §10-126 and 38 RCNY Chapter 24
New to NYC drone rules? Read our complete NYC drone permit guide and our NYC neighborhoods guide for the city-side picture before you plan a flight.
The complete index

All 10 guides, by topic

Every guide covers one piece of the NYC authorization puzzle — from how the system works to what to do when it says no. Find the one you need below.

Understand LAANC (4)

How LAANC Works Getting Authorization Grid Ceilings Explained LAANC vs DroneZone

The Apps (4)

The AirMap Guide The Aloft App Guide LAANC Apps Compared DJI Fly Safe & Unlocking

Walkthroughs & Problems (2)

Step-by-Step Walkthrough When LAANC Is Denied
Important

The key facts NYC pilots get wrong

LAANC is simple to use but easy to misunderstand. These are the points that trip up pilots most often:

  • A zero grid means no LAANC — where the UAS Facility Map shows a zero-foot ceiling, the system cannot authorize any flight; your options are a different square or FAA DroneZone
  • LAANC covers recreational flyers too — both Part 107 pilots and recreational flyers use it, and both need it in NYC's Class B airspace
  • LAANC does not replace the NYPD permit — airspace authorization is FAA-side only; the city's take-off and landing ban under §10-126 requires its own separate permit
  • A denial has two honest answers — adjust your location or altitude to fit the grid, or request further coordination through FAA DroneZone, which takes longer
  • The FAA baseline still applies — registration for drones of 250 g or more and Remote ID compliance are required regardless of your LAANC authorization
Source: FAA — LAANC →
Method

How to get authorized in NYC

If you are planning a legal flight in New York City, work through these five steps in order:

1

Meet the FAA baseline

Register any drone of 250 g or more, make sure your aircraft is Remote ID compliant, and hold a Part 107 certificate if the flight is commercial.

2

Check the grid ceiling

Look up the UAS Facility Map square for your exact launch site. A low ceiling shapes your plan; a zero-foot grid means LAANC cannot authorize flight there at all.

3

Secure the NYPD permit

LAANC is FAA-side only. Apply separately for the city's take-off and landing permit required under Admin Code §10-126 and 38 RCNY Chapter 24.

4

Request LAANC authorization

Use an FAA-approved app such as Aloft to request near-real-time authorization at or below the grid ceiling — or apply via FAA DroneZone where LAANC is unavailable.

5

Re-check on the day

Airspace and temporary restrictions change. Confirm your authorization is valid before launch, and keep both approvals with you as you fly.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

LAANC is the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability — the system that grants near-real-time authorization to fly a drone in controlled airspace at or below the altitude ceilings published on the FAA's UAS Facility Maps. It matters enormously in New York because all five boroughs sit under the Class B airspace shells of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, which means almost any outdoor flight in the city is a flight in controlled airspace requiring FAA authorization. Without LAANC, the alternative is a manual application through FAA DroneZone, which takes far longer. For NYC pilots, LAANC is the everyday tool that makes flying here workable at all.
Yes. New York City is surrounded by three major airports — JFK, LaGuardia and Newark — and their Class B airspace shells cover all five boroughs between them. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island all sit under controlled airspace, so the FAA's authorization requirement follows you across the entire city. The practical effect is that there is no NYC neighborhood where you can simply launch without checking the airspace: every flight plan starts with the UAS Facility Map grid for your exact location, then a LAANC request through an approved app, or an FAA DroneZone application where LAANC is unavailable or a higher altitude is needed.
LAANC runs through FAA-approved service suppliers, and pilots reach it through their apps. Aloft is among the most widely used suppliers for NYC flights today. One important change: AirMap, once one of the best-known LAANC apps, has been discontinued — its former users have moved to other approved suppliers, and alternatives are readily available. Because the supplier list evolves, it is worth confirming that your chosen app currently holds FAA approval before relying on it. Our apps guide compares the 2026 field honestly, and our Aloft guide walks through an NYC authorization request screen by screen, from map check to approval.
The FAA publishes UAS Facility Maps that divide controlled airspace into grid squares, each with a maximum altitude — the grid ceiling — at or below which LAANC can authorize flight. In New York City, many squares carry low ceilings, and the squares closest to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark are often zero-foot grids. A zero grid means LAANC cannot authorize any flight there at all: no altitude is available through the near-real-time system. In that case your options are to move to a nearby square with a usable ceiling, or to apply for authorization manually through FAA DroneZone, which involves a longer, human-reviewed process rather than an instant answer.
LAANC is the fast route: near-real-time authorization through an approved app, at or below the published grid ceiling. FAA DroneZone is the manual route: an application reviewed by the FAA, which takes considerably longer. You turn to DroneZone in two main situations. First, where LAANC is unavailable for your location — including zero-foot grid squares where the automated system cannot authorize any altitude. Second, where you need to fly higher than the grid ceiling allows, which requires further coordination beyond what LAANC can grant. For routine NYC flights within the published ceilings, LAANC is the practical choice; DroneZone is the fallback.
LAANC covers both. Part 107 certificated remote pilots and recreational flyers can each request near-real-time airspace authorization through an FAA-approved service supplier, and in a city like New York — where all five boroughs sit under Class B airspace — both groups need it for almost every flight. The underlying FAA baseline still applies to everyone: drones weighing 250 g or more must be registered, and Remote ID requirements apply to your aircraft regardless of which rule you fly under. Whichever category you fly under, the sequence is the same: check the grid for your location, request LAANC at or below the ceiling, and fly within it.
A denial usually means your request did not fit the grid, and it is not necessarily the end of the flight plan. You have two honest options. First, adjust the operation: move to a nearby grid square with a usable ceiling, or lower your requested altitude to at or below the published ceiling for your square, then request again. Second, if the location and altitude genuinely cannot change, request further coordination through FAA DroneZone — the manual route, which takes longer but can consider operations the automated system cannot approve. Do not fly anyway: in NYC's Class B airspace, operating without authorization is a serious violation. Our denial guide walks through both routes.
No — and this is the single most important thing NYC pilots get wrong. LAANC is FAA-side only: it authorizes your use of the airspace, nothing more. New York City separately prohibits drone take-off and landing under Administrative Code §10-126, and the legal route on the city side is a permit under 38 RCNY Chapter 24, applied for through the NYPD. These are two separate approvals, and neither substitutes for the other: an NYPD permit does not authorize Class B airspace, and a LAANC approval does not satisfy the city's take-off and landing ban. A fully legal NYC flight holds both — plus the FAA baseline of registration at 250 g or more and Remote ID.
Work through five steps, in order. One: meet the FAA baseline — register any drone of 250 g or more, ensure Remote ID compliance, and hold a Part 107 certificate if the flight is commercial. Two: check the UAS Facility Map grid for your launch site; a zero-foot grid means no LAANC authorization there. Three: secure the city-side approval: the NYPD take-off and landing permit under Admin Code §10-126 and 38 RCNY Chapter 24. Four: request FAA airspace authorization via LAANC at or below the grid ceiling, or via FAA DroneZone where LAANC is unavailable. Five: re-check the airspace on flight day and keep both approvals with you. Our step-by-step guide covers each stage.
TS

Takayuki Sawai

Certified Administrative Scrivener (Gyoseishoshi). Researches drone compliance across 10 countries, including US FAA drone law, LAANC, controlled airspace and Part 107. Over 20 years in Hiroshima prefectural administration.

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