About the review

The Review was commissioned by Minister of Transport Michael Wood in early 2021, on advice from the Te Manatū Waka the Ministry of Transport.

The Panel’s work was done in two phases:

• Phase 1:  what New Zealand needs and wants from the system, and the strategic objectives and principles that should apply.
• Phase 2: recommendations to strengthen the system settings to deliver on the outcomes identified in Phase 1

The terms of reference were finalised in December 2021. The Panel began its work in June 2022. The Phase 1 report was delivered in October 2022, and the Phase 2 Report in May 2023.

The air navigation system are all the pieces that allow people to safely fly around New Zealand.

The system includes the equipment (like radar and radio), services (like air traffic control) and information (like weather). It also includes the systems air traffic controllers’ need to keep aircraft safety separated and for everyone to communicate.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a commercial pilot, a general aviation enthusiast or a passenger, if you’re in the sky you need to interact with the air navigation system in some way.

The air navigation system is a key part of our transport infrastructure. The system contributes to our economic growth and prosperity, social connectivity, resilience and our role as a participant in regional and global fora.

New Zealand’s system is aligned with the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention.) This is the global legal framework that regulates aviation activity and underpins air navigation systems and practices around the world. New Zealand is one of the founding parties to the Chicago Convention and is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The system’s core elements are common with air navigation systems around the world. According to ICAO, these are:

• CNS – communications, navigation, and surveillance systems
• ATM – air traffic management
• MET – meteorological services for air navigation
• AIS/AIM – aeronautical information services/aeronautical information management, and
• AGA – aerodromes and ground aids.

The system is complex, and the components are interconnected. Not every flight need all parts of the system, but as a whole it has to provide for safe operation of all airspace users. This ranges from gliders, light recreational aircraft and helicopters, through to long haul international passenger and freight aircraft.

Increasingly the system will include aircraft that are remotely piloted or autonomous, and rockets that transit the airspace. The system is not static – it evolves to integrate new technologies and improve safety and efficiency.

New Zealand’s air navigation system doesn’t operate in isolation. Aviation is a global industry and it’s critical that national systems operate in harmony with each other. For that reason, our system components and standards and practices reflect international norms.

Domestically, the system interacts with many other systems including telecommunications, heath, emergency services, defence and security, and border protection for starters. It is a core part of New Zealand’s national infrastructure.

The current policy position, the National Airspace Policy was published in 2012. In the decade since there have been significant advances in aviation technology, including replacement of the existing radar network for air traffic management, and advances in more precision satellite guided navigation. Remote and autonomous aircraft development has rapidly escalated, and New Zealand is now home to developers of innovative technologies like rockets and electric aircraft that take off vertically.

There have also been changes to the wider environment: the drive for emissions reductions and the current and forecast impacts of climate change, increases in cyber crime, and the impacts of COVID-19 pointing to the need for a resilient system.

It made sense to take a look at the air navigation system now to make sure it continues to serve New Zealand long into the future.

It’s important to note that the system is safe now and provides a strong foundation for the future.

The review focused on the high level settings that apply to the system:

• Policy and regulatory settings
• Institutional settings
• Funding settings

The review considered how the settings influence the way the system is designed, planned, funded, and provided. While facilitating aviation is the core role of the system, the review thought more broadly about how the system contributes to our society, economy, and environment, our resilience and security, and to our place in the world.

The review specifically considered the system and its objectives and outcomes in the context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and with a te ao Māori perspective.

The system will need to respond to new technologies such as drones, sustainable fuels, always-advancing safety technologies, and increasing digitisation. 

The review was high level look at the settings that influence the system. The recommendations do not cover operational of technical matters. The focus will be on whether the high-level settings enable the system to operate effectively.

The following were generally out of scope of the review:

• technical and operational matters, for example technical standards for air navigation system components; operational procedures and rules; or application of operational policies or methodologies in particular instances or locations3
• detailed examination of specific commercial agreements between parties, though the review may consider the influence the system settings have on how commercial agreements are generally developed and applied, and the results of those methodsevaluation of the COVID 19 response and recovery measures provided to the aviation sector”

The review did not make recommendations that:

• directly create obligations on sectors that depend on or benefit from the air navigation system
• relate directly to operational, tactical, or procedural matters or specific commercial arrangements regarding the operation of the air navigation system components, provision of services, or use of the system by aviation participants
• refer to amending or creating specific Civil Aviation Rules, notices, or guidance, though it may consider the regulatory system settings with respect to the agreed system objectives.

The review did, however, consider how its recommendations would impact on matters and sectors outside its scope.

Further information on the full scope of the Review can be found in the Terms of Reference.

The Air Navigation System Review is a high level, first principles look at three specific settings that apply to the system:

• Policy and regulatory settings: the strategy, rules, and guidance that applies to the system
• Institutional settings: the form and functions of the agencies that oversee and provide the system components, and how they work together
• Funding settings: who pays for which parts of the system.

The Review is being done in two phases. The first focuses on what New Zealand needs and wants from the system, and the strategic objectives and principles that should apply.

Phase two will identify options to strengthen the system settings to deliver on the outcomes the country wants from the air navigation system.

It’s important to note that the Review is considering the core components of the system, and the way the system delivers on national interest issues. This includes enabling economic development, social connections, delivery of essential services, and how it relates to Crown’s obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supporting Māori aspirations.

The Terms of Reference(external link) sets out the scope of the review in detail.