Civil Aviation Act 2023 implementation

The Civil Aviation Act 2023 came into effect on 5 April 2025.

This page provides you with more information on the implementation programmes the CAA and Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport undertook to implement the Act.

Purpose of the Act

The Act updates provisions, and includes new functions, necessary to keep pace with a rapidly changing aviation environment.

Our primary goal remains focused on ensuring that New Zealand maintains a safe and secure civil aviation system. The Act also includes some new objectives that recognise broader economic, environmental, social, and national security factors.

What’s changed?

While the Act introduces some changes to help the sector keep pace with our operating environment, it also recognises that the CAA’s fundamental regulatory underpinnings are sound.

Participants will have noticed little change on 5 April 2025. In most cases, the Act either continues or improves existing functions.

CAA and Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport both have responsibility for implementation. CAA undertook work to implement a seamless transition including:

Civil Aviation Rules Realignment (a joint workstream with Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport)
Drug and alcohol management
Aviation safety
Aviation security

CAA’s workstreams are summarised below.

Civil Aviation Rules realignment (joint workstream with the Ministry)

All the Civil Aviation Rules have been updated to align with the 2023 Act, without changing the intent or impacting certificated participants’ compliance.

The rules are now on our website.

Civil Aviation Rules

The criteria for granting an exemption under the CA Act 2023 are slightly different from those under the 1990 Act, although we expect the outcomes will be similar.

Learn more about the criteria for granting an exemption under the CA Act 2023

Drug and alcohol management

The Act requires some aviation sector participants to produce drug and alcohol management plans (DAMPs) which introduce random drug testing for safety sensitive workers.

Those participants have until 5 April 2027 to develop DAMPs and have them approved by the CAA. We have set timeframes for submitting DAMPS for approval, to ensure CAA can approve DAMPs by then.

CAA has produced a new Aviation Rule Part (Part 99), Transport Instrument, Advisory Circular, and a template to provide participants with the tools to develop their DAMPs.

The Act also allows the CAA Director to conduct drug and alcohol testing, and CAA is working through how this may be introduced after 5 April 2027.

Learn more about drug and alcohol management

Aviation safety

The Act introduces new provisions to meet the changing face of aviation. It updates the powers of inspectors and it makes changes to exemptions, including adding new types of exemptions and adjusting the criteria for granting them.

It also offers some protections from enforcement actions for individuals who voluntarily report incidents.

Generally speaking, the Act modernises the provisions for aviation safety, rather than making any drastic changes.

Aviation security

The Act introduces several measures to improve security arrangements. These include:

Clarifying security officers’ powers, protections and tools.
Expanding the aviation security regime to enable short term additional security measures at airports in response to heightened threats.
Giving the Minister of Transport the authority to consider national security when dealing with the aviation system.

Learn more about aviation security

Legislative and governance

There are some smaller legislative and governance changes that need to be made to reflect the new Act. These include updating and re-issuing Director delegations and authorisations; updating and re-issuing Director notices for security searching and CAA notices, CAA records and legal process changes, and corporate administrative arrangements.

1990-2023 Civil Aviation Act comparison guide

CAA has produced a quick reference guide to help industry participants easily identify where the sections you work with in the 1990 Act are now represented in the CA Act 2023.

1990-2023 Civil Aviation Act comparison guide

Ministry of Transport workstreams

The Ministry of Transport's workstreams:

Ministry operations (Ministry and Secretary functions)
Establishment of the Independent Review function
Offences and penalties regulations
Notices (security, Airways)

Ministry operations (Ministry and Secretary functions)

The Act introduces a modern registration system for airports, replacing the Airport Authorities process. This includes a requirement called a regulatory airport spatial undertaking (RASU) for some airports.

The Ministry is responsible for:

Delivering systems and processes to support RASUs;
The airport operator registration regime under the Act;
Airport spatial plans and bylaw consultations;
A strengthened process for airline alliance authorisations;
A strengthened international airline licensing regime; and
New Zealand’s participation in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

Establishment of the Independent Review function

The Act introduces a process for aviation participants to seek independent review of Director of Civil Aviation decisions.

More information on the function is available on the Ministry of Transport website(external link).

Offences and penalties regulations

Under the new Act, the Civil Aviation (Offences) Regulations 2006 have been remade with necessary changes to align with the new Civil Aviation Rules.

Notices (Security, Airways)

The Ministry undertook policy work to carry over the settings that apply to the provision of Airways and aviation security services.

Questions?

Ask your question about the implementation of the Civil Aviation Act 2023

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