Hon James Meager
Acting Minister of Transport

New Zealand’s new civil aviation law will modernise regulations and ensure New Zealanders are safe in our skies, Acting Transport Minister James Meager says.

“A strong aviation sector is integral to New Zealand’s economic success and to ensuring New Zealanders can get to where they need to go for work or leisure,” Mr Meager says.

“This Government is committed to supporting the aviation sector to grow and innovate. The new Civil Aviation Act, which comes into force today, focuses on keeping Kiwis safe while allowing for new technology and changing aviation needs. It will ensure we can keep pace with a rapidly changing aviation environment.

“A better and more robust process for authorising airline cooperation agreements will improve competition and ensure benefits for New Zealanders. Proposed decisions will be published and open for consultation before a final decision is made, ensuring transparency over the whole process. The new Act also provides the ability for more on-time performance reporting for airlines and price transparency mechanisms.

“As remotely piloted aircraft, commonly referred to as drones, continue to develop, changes will also enable policies and rules to be updated more quickly, to encourage further innovation and investment.

“Aviation safety and security have also been boosted through random drug and alcohol testing being introduced for people involved in safety-sensitive work, and AvSec officers will have clearer powers to keep travellers safe.

“A new independent review function has also been introduced to enable individuals and organisations to seek expert independent reviews of decisions made by the Director of Civil Aviation, saving them significant time and money. This will enable a faster and more cost-effective alternative to going through the courts and will help ensure that our regulatory processes are fair and transparent. I expect to announce the names of the reviewers in the coming weeks.

“I know this legislation is something the aviation sector has been eagerly awaiting, and I thank them for their cooperation as the Act is implemented.”

Notes:

The Civil Aviation Act 2023 repeals and replaces the Civil Aviation Act 1990 and the Airport Authorities Act 1966.

For more information, go to:

https://www.transport.govt.nz/area-of-interest/air-transport/air-transport-regulatory-information/civil-aviation-act-2023

https://www.aviation.govt.nz/about-us/what-we-do/civil-aviation-act-2023-implementation/

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