TETERBORO, N.J. — Teterboro Airport is moving ahead with a controversial expansion that will pave over 11 acres of wetlands, raising fresh concerns for Bergen County communities already battling airport noise and flooding.

The Federal Aviation Administration signed off on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s environmental review on Sept. 30, allowing the project to advance as long as the required state and federal permits are obtained.

The plan calls for new hangars, aircraft parking aprons, parking lots and a driveway across two sites at the airport, which caters to private jets carrying business executives, wealthy travelers and celebrities.

Signature Aviation, a luxury private aviation company that operates at Teterboro, is funding the project.

The expansion comes as residents in surrounding communities have raised concerns about the airport’s impact on their quality of life. Hackensack, Moonachie and other nearby communities have grappled with aircraft noise, while local officials and residents have pushed for greater accountability from the airport and the agencies overseeing it.

The wetlands dispute adds another front to that fight.

The project would develop about 22 acres, including more than 11 acres of wetlands in the Hackensack Meadowlands. Environmental advocates warn that filling the wetlands could worsen flooding in an area already vulnerable to major storms.

The project includes a 40,500-square-foot hangar and aircraft apron at the Signature East site, near the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum. A second site, near existing Signature South facilities, would get a 95,000-square-foot hangar, a larger aircraft apron, parking and a connecting driveway.

Signature says the added space will improve safety and efficiency, reduce congestion and eliminate thousands of unnecessary ferry flights in which aircraft leave Teterboro after dropping off passengers because there is insufficient space to park.

The company will be required to buy wetland mitigation credits to offset the loss and install stormwater detention systems and, where applicable, permeable pavement.

But environmental advocates say those measures cannot fully replace the flood protection provided by existing wetlands. The Regional Plan Association has also warned that the environmental review did not adequately address whether the expansion could lead to more demand for flights.

The dispute dates back years. In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned that an earlier version of the proposal could have a “substantial and unacceptable impact on wetlands.”

The Port Authority says it remains committed to environmental sustainability while meeting regional infrastructure needs. Signature plans to begin construction early next year, subject to permitting.

For nearby residents, the question is whether the promised operational benefits will outweigh the loss of natural flood protection and the wider impact of an airport built to serve private aviation.