Aviation Export Strategy Takes Off

Aviation Export Strategy Takes Off

Aviation New Zealand - the aviation industry of New Zealand's integrated export strategy will be launched by the Minister of Industry and Regional Development, the Honourable Trevor Mallard at 6.30pm on July 19 2007 at the Aviation Industry Associations 57th Annual Conference at Sky City in Auckland.

Aviation Industry Association Chief Executive Irene King says the launch of Aviation New Zealand was the culmination of over a year's work by a group of industry leaders including leading sector companies such as Air New Zealand and Airways.

Aviation New Zealand is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Association. Its development has been fully supported by New Zealand Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Economic Development and all members of the Association,

"We are also appreciative of the Sector Initiative Fund grant awarded to the industry, a year ago, that underpinned much of the assessment of industry capability and market development.

"New Zealand's is a serious player in the international aviation industry and currently ranks 7th in terms of global take offs and landings in the world. Currently New Zealand's aviation industry exports around $NZ800 million a year.

New Zealand's international reputation means the association is confident enough to set some ambitious targets to almost treble exports by the year 2020.

"By growing sectors where New Zealand has a clear global competitive advantage - scope exists to earn $2Bn in export earnings per annum within 10 years."

"Aviation New Zealand aims to apply the concepts and strategies of the government's "New Zealand New Thinking" to selective aviation sectors such as training (technical and non technical); engineering design, maintenance, repair, and overhaul; airport and airways technologies and all aspects of our general aviation industry including aircraft manufacture."

The industry will also look across the Tasman for collaborative opportunities that will benefit both New Zealand and Australia.

The industry discovered, through its exhibition earlier this year at the Avalon Aerospace and Defence Expo, that Australia presents both opportunities for collaboration and competition in a much larger defense and civil aviation market.

The Avalon Expo alone is considered to have created opportunities for upward of $20m of extra earnings for the New Zealand aviation sector."

Through collaboration the New Zealand industry is confident that it has the ability to enter a number of significantly larger and strongly growing markets such as China, India and the Middle East.

ENDS

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