Progress Flies On Ambitious Aviation Action Plan

**New Zealand Aviation Action Plan Makes Significant Headway**

*Wellington, New Zealand – 7 September 2026* – Associate Minister of Transport James Meager announced that more than half of the 25 priorities in New Zealand’s Aviation Action Plan have been completed within the first year of implementation. The minister described the progress as a “real success story” for the country’s aviation sector, citing the partnership between government and industry.

### Completed Actions

Fifteen of the 25 actions have been finished, including:

1. **RNZAF Base Ohakea** – Funding secured to make the base available as a 24‑hour alternative airport for wide‑body aircraft from mid‑2027. Implementation is underway, with recruitment and training of additional staff underway.
2. **Regional Route Security** – Concessionary loans and investment support for small airlines to safeguard vulnerable regional routes and facilitate interlining arrangements.
3. **Workforce Recommendations** – A coordinated set of industry‑led recommendations addressing long‑standing workforce challenges, now being advanced by the Aviation Council.
4. **Pilot Training Updates** – Assistance to flight schools to revise pilot training programmes to better align with airline needs.
5. **Future Infrastructure Assessment** – Evaluation of infrastructure requirements for fleet expansion, jet‑fuel demand, and electricity needs for next‑generation aircraft.
6. **Civil Aviation Rule Modernisation** – Commencement of an accelerated programme to modernise civil aviation rules, allowing 20 years of changes to be made over a two‑year period. The 24‑project programme includes four projects that have already been implemented, with seven more well advanced.

Minister Meager noted

Article source: scoop.co.nz | Image credit: The National Tribune