We're contracted to develop the Civil Aviation Rules by the Ministry of Transport for the Minister. Under this contract the Minister of Transport approves a programme of new rules and changes to existing rules each year. Any ordinary rule changes are subject to the Minister of Transport's agreement.
This page is updated monthly to provide progress reports on our current rule projects together with information on recent rule changes that have come into effect.
You can also find a list of current regulatory issues and how to raise your own issue with our regulatory system.
If you have any queries regarding a rule project, please contact us by emailing docket@caa.govt.nz.
| Rule project name and reference | Description and purpose of rule | Current status | Next milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Assorted Issues (24/CAR/01) |
The Assorted Issues policy project consists of a collection of issues that exceed the criteria of an omnibus rule amendment (very minor changes), yet do not warrant an individual stand-alone policy and rules project. Individually, these changes are not likely to meet cost-benefit or significance thresholds to be prioritised for rule development but are good to do from a regulatory stewardship perspective. |
Due to time constraints related to the implementation of the new Act, these draft rules were incorporated into the Act rule changes and were signed by the Minister on 13th December. Summary of public submissions were also published on the CAA website on 13 January 2025, |
3 x CAA Notices are currently being drafted. |
|
Advanced Aviation Reform (AAR) |
The Advanced Aviation Reform (AAR) project is part of a suite of actions that were taken to Cabinet by the Minister for Space Hon. Judith Collins KC late last year that focuses on growing and enhancing the space and advanced aviation sector. The Government’s goal is that by the end of 2025, New Zealand has a world class regulatory environment that allows rapid iteration and testing of advanced aviation vehicles and technology, while maintaining our levels of aviation safety. We’ve been leading two streams of the AAR actions, including the development of a new civil aviation rule to allow for rapid testing and iteration (also known as Part 107) and refreshing our Part 101 rules to remove the need for certification for some types of operation. |
2 x NPRMs were released for consultation on 23 June 2025. |
Consultation closes on 27 July 2025. |
If you wish to raise a regulatory issue for assessment that may progress to a rule change, please complete form 24011-01 [DOC 86 KB] and email it to docket@caa.govt.nz.
For more information about issue assessment see the rule development process and regulatory policy pages.
| Rule project name | Description and purpose of rule | Rules and amendment numbers | Important dates |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Drug and Alcohol Management Plans and Testing (24/CAR/02) |
Rules are required to give effect to the Civil Aviation Act 2023 provisions for drug and alcohol management plans (DAMPs) and random testing: primarily the scope of the participants/certificate holders affected and dates for submitting first DAMPs. |
The Minister of Transport signed the rule on 20 July 2024. |
Rule came in to force on 5 April 2025. |
