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The longtime operator of the Downtown Heliport is pushing for a formal investigation into a contract given to its replacement by the Adams administration, The Post has learned.
Saker Aviation, which has run the city-owned heliport for 18 years, filed the latest objection after the city Economic Development Corporation picked the Downtown Skyport LLC to run the facility, which is used by President Trump’s Marine One and by US military and federal law enforcement officials.
“We write to you to express our strong belief that a criminal investigation should be commenced immediately into this matter,” Saker chairman William Wachtel said in a Feb. 14 letter to DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber.
If city officials were aware of illegal activity and chose to ignore it, that should be investigated as well, Wachtel said.
The replacement company is a partnership that includes Skyport Infrastructure — the UK-based Skyports firm and the operator of the London Heliport — and France’s Groupe ADP, which operates Paris’ three airports.
Wachtel said the replacement group should be disqualified because it appeared to have made “material misrepresentations” to the EDC that include allegedly concealing “felonious activity” by Groupe ADAP subsidiaries with projects in Croatia, Madagascar, Libya and the United Arab Emirates.
Wachtel said in the letter that there were “four separate patterns of collusion and bribery” by Groupe ADP subsidiaries with airport development projects overseas that resulted in two deferred prosecution agreements with French authorities. Those deals included a $15 million fine in 2023 and “debarment by the World Bank Group in 2022,” the letter stated.
DOI declined to comment.
Last week, Wachtel appealed to city Comptroller Brad Zander to reject the contract for the same reasons.
The comptroller’s office said the contract is still under review.
In a statement to The Post last week, EDC defended the new contract with the Downtown Skyport consortium, but said Saker’s new objection was being reviewed.
Skyport won the contract via a competitive bidding process.
Both of its foreign companies have developed the use of quieter electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, a top priority of Mayor Eric Adams.
Helicopter noise has long been a major bane of New York City residents, with 59,000 complaints recorded last year.
“On its face, this ‘under review’ acknowledgment leads to one ineluctable conclusion, to wit, that the City was not aware of this company’s serial criminal conduct,” Wachtel said.
Skyport declined to comment.
