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Ministry of Transport

The Civil Aviation Act’s purpose is to create a single, modern law that ensures the safety and security of the civil aviation system now and well into the future.

The new Act, which came into effect on 5 April 2025, either continues or improves existing functions and includes some new functions necessary to keep pace with a rapidly changing aviation environment. Key changes include:

  • strengthening drug and alcohol management across the aviation sector
  • clarifying aviation security powers and allowing for more flexible security settings at airports if needed in future
  • setting out the responsibilities for the operation of new and emerging technologies
  • repealing the Airport Authorities Act 1966 and introducing a modern airport registration regime
  • introducing a new function for independent review of some decisions made by (or on behalf of) the Director of Civil Aviation 
  • enabling New Zealand to meet its obligations under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

For more detail on what’s changing under the new Act go to: Summary of Civil Aviation Act 2023 changes (transport.govt.nz) 

The work to date

02
Apr 2023–Feb 2025

Implementing the Civil Aviation Act 2023

The Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority (the CAA) worked closely to implement the changes under the new Act.

For more information about the implementation programme, and the different workstreams, go to: About the implementation programme (transport.govt.nz)

For more information about the CAA-led workstreams, go to: Civil Aviation Act Implementation (aviation.govt.nz)

To read the newsletters from the implementation programme, go to: Civil Aviation Act Implementation/News (transport.govt.nz)

01
Apr 2023

Civil Aviation Act passes into legislation

The Civil Aviation Bill passed its third reading in March 2023, and received Royal Assent on 5 April 2023.

Read the Associate Transport Minister’s media release: New law enhances safety and security of the aviation sector (beehive.govt.nz)

For more information about the Civil Aviation Bill, go to: Civil Aviation Bill (transport.govt.nz)