News

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is pleased to announce the release of the Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Operational End-State 2023: A Regulatory View document.The document provides operators with a regulatory view of the future PBN ...

A large number of South Island operators have literally got on board with PBN this week, getting to see how the system works from the cockpit of a PBN-equipped aircraft.Ridge Air chief pilot Ross McCullum and one of his company’s aircraft a...

PBN is here and it’s changing the way Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operators navigate. If you’re an IFR operator or maintenance organisation, or simply interested in changes to IFR navigation, this is the expo for you!With less than one we...

The National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan of 2014 provided guidance on how the eight separate domains that make up the system would contribute specific modernised elements. However, it did not provide an ‘end state’ or picture of what t...

With just a couple of weeks until the official kick off the National PBN Expo, spaces are filling quickly. Ardmore and Nelson sessions are almost at capacity with other locations quickly following.If you’re an IFR Part 135 or 91 operator or...

 Key Messages from the New Southern Sky Working Group meeting 29th October 2018

PBN National Expo 2018If you’re an IFR Part 135 or 91 operator or training organisation and are considering equipping with Performance Based Navigation (PBN) capability  but not sure where to start, this is the expo for you! In November, Ri...

Registration information to come soon, for more information, email pbn@caa.govt.nz

Most aircraft owners and pilots already understand the benefits of GPS as a primary means of navigation and the improved surveillance coverage Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) provides. However, less is known about the ben...

Australian Aviation updates it’s 2014 article on the New Southern Sky to reflect the significant progress made byNew Zealand’s Aviation sector stakeholders to deliver system modernization. You can access the 2018 article here. 

Major Milestone AchievedThe first major regulatory milestone has been reached in the last month with the signing of the Rule, Notice and publishing of the AC with regard to ADS-B above FL245. The Future Surveillance project team has worked ...

Former AOPA Australia president talks ADS-B benefits for General AviationAt the recent 2018 New Southern Sky Conference, Andrew Andersen, former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Australia and GA pilot, shared h...

CAA releases general ADS-B Information for Aircraft Owners and Operators in the NZFIRNew Zealand is implementing Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) as its main source of surveillance data for air traffic management. With t...

 Key Messages from the New Southern Sky Working Group meeting 28th June 2018

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), under the New Southern Sky (NSS) programme, is pleased to announce the release of a provisional schedule for the delivery of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) regulatory changes. The schedule for regulat...

In November 2017, Christchurch International Airport and its partners, embarked on a 12-month Performance Based Navigation (PBN) trial to determine the safety, environmental, economic and social benefits it could provide to travelers, the a...

During the recent NSS Conference in Auckland, a number of the delegates were asked where the value of attending a conference like this was. For many, its the chance to get together with industry representatives, the regulator and other part...

Blair Cowles, Regional Director for Safety and Flight Operations (SFO) in Asia-Pacific, IATA, speaks with us about the value of attending the NSS Conference. 

The second NSS Conference held from 15-16 May 2018 at the BECA Auckland offices is done! Opened by the Minister of Transport and a surprise video by Christchurch Helicopters pilot Richie McCaw, this fantastic event drew a wide range of dome...

Not quite sure what equipment standards and navigation specifications are required to operate in a Performance Based Navigation (PBN) environment? Or maybe you are looking for information about Acceptable Technical Data (ATD) in relation to...

Extractions and recovery upon loss of GPS and alternates from a PBN perspective were two focus areas discussed at the successful PBN workshop held at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) yesterday. Represented by a broad range of operators in...

The New Southern Sky (NSS) Conference 15/16 May is bringing to Auckland some of this country’s experts in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) and ‘drones’. The NSS programme is required by the National Airspa...

Do you have questions about the future surveillance system or ADS-B?Then check out our ADS-B FAQs/ If you can’t find your answer there please send your question to adsb@caa.govt.nz 

The report produced by the Ground Based Navigation Aid Review Panel (GBNA RP) is now available on the New Southern Sky website. The full report can be accessed by clicking here. 

New Southern Sky are pleased to announce the release of the New Zealand Performance Based Communication and Surveillance (PBCS) Implementation Plan.The plan, delivered under the New Southern Sky programme, describes how PBCS operational cap...

Radio New Zealand Interview Director New Southern Sky Steve Smyth and Andrew Andersen Steve Smyth (Director New Southern Sky) and Andrew Andersen (former president of AOPA Australia) were interviewed by Radio New Zealand's Kathryn Ryan on N...

New Southern Sky's Approach 18 is an industry forum for those operators wanting to know more about Performance Based Navigation. Held at the Civil Aviation Authority over two days, this video captures the thoughts of some of the delegates i...

An Exciting Line-up of Speakers AnnouncedIt’s finally here.  The draft New Southern Sky Conference programme has been released today.Director NSS, Steve Smyth, says ‘This programme has been designed to have something for everyone.  With the...

Wellington Airport has announced its plans for a Performance Based Navigation (PBN) trial beginning in September 2018. The Performance Based Navigation (PBN) trial will see aircraft use their Global Positioning System (GPS) to follow optimi...

Approach 18 Get Underway in the CapitalApproach 18 got underway this morning with an exciting range of speakers lined up. Director NSS, Steve Smyth, welcomed many of the guests from both local and international operators. The Approach serie...

Aeropath Signs Deal with Snowflake SoftwareToday it was announced that Snowflake Software, a provider of cloud and on-premise software solutions for the aviation industry, is working with Aeropath to deliver an Aeronautical Information Exch...

The confirmed programme for this years Approach 18 has just been released by Steve Smyth, Director New Southern Sky. The draft programme can be seen below or you can download a PDF version here.  When: Tuesday, 20th March - Wednesday, 21st ...

Director NSS has today released the Questions and Answers generated from the recent 2018 NSS Hawke's Bay Roadshow held on 22nd February 2018. The NSS team has attempted to record and highlight most of the questions put forward by participan...

The impacts of the Minimum Operating Network (MON) recommended by the Ground Based Navigation Aid Review Panel were one of the focus areas discussed at the successful PBN rotary workshop held this week.The workshop, run by the CAA, was atte...

CASA CNS/ATM VideosThe New Southern Sky programme is delighted to showcase a couple of videos from our colleagues and friends at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in Australia.  These high quality videos feature advice on planning ...

The 2017 NSS Roadshow highlighted interest from the sector around alternative low-power and non-certified ADS-B solutions. In response to this feedback, the NSS Programme is looking to conduct tests of non-certified/low-powered ADS-B equipm...

2018 Napier Roadshow - 22nd February 2018The NSS team (Steve Smyth, Jess Henderson, Clayton Hughes, Wayne Blythe (Airways)), with support from John Keyzer, visited Air Hawkes Bay last week to deliver the last of the ‘2017 Roadshow series’. ...

GROUND BASED NAVIGATION AIDS In taking advantage of the availability of the Global Positioning System (GPS), many countries have taken the opportunity to reduce the number of ground based navigation aids (GBNA) (beacons).In New Zealand, a s...

NEW SOUTHERN SKY APPROACH 18The draft programme for this years Approach 18 has just been released by Steve Smyth, Director New Southern Sky. The draft programme can be seen below or you can download a PDF verison here.   

The NSS Governance Group Chair Mark Hughes welcomed two new members in the first meeting of 2018. Kirstie Hewlett, Deputy Chief Executive, Regulatory & Data from the Ministry of Transport replaces Nick Brown, and Tim Boyle, GM Air Traffic S...

First International Speakers announced for New Southern Sky Conference 2018First International Speakers announced for New Southern Sky Conference 2018Director New Southern Sky, Steve Smyth, revealed today some of the international speakers ...

Following on from the successful 2017 NSS Roadshow, the NSS Roadshow Frequently Asked Questions brings together the broad range of questions and feedback provided by aviation sector audiences from across New Zealand. The NSS team has attemp...

The second edition of the New Zealand Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Implementation Plan is now available.The Plan, delivered under the New Southern Sky programme in consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders, aims to have a f...

A Happy Christmas to everyone involved in our multi-agency, collaborative programme to update the New Zealand aviation system. If you are in the aviation sector or a member of the travelling public, you are effectively part of the NSS progr...

New Southern Sky Road Show - Day 3The New Southern Sky (NSS)  team continued their tour of the North Island yesterday, presenting to packed out audiences at Hamilton Airport and Tauranga Aero Club.The audiences, including representation fro...

A huge thank you to everyone one who turned out for the first two Road Show briefings at Auckland Airport and Ardmore today! It was fantastic to have two groups of really engaged people asking some fantastic questions.Standing room only was...

A trial to bring a global aviation navigation upgrade programme to the South Island has been announced in Christchurch today by Airways New Zealand, Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand (BARNZ), Christchurch Airport and New Southern...

Massey LynchMassey is the Pilot/Training Standards Manager at Westpac Air Ambulance in Hamilton, part of the Philips Search and Rescue Trust.  You can find out more about this organisation and the great work it does here. We have reproduced...

A draft Civil Aviation Rule, proposing a mandate for Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) system fitting and operation for all aircraft in controlled airspace above FL 245 from 30 December 2018, is now out for consultation.“Th...

NSS is pleased to present the first of two videos on Performance Based Navigation. The first one featured in is from our colleagues at ICAO and the other from ATR, featuring the team at Mount Cook Airlines.The first video is ‘big picture’ a...

NSS is pleased to present the second of two videos on Performance Based Navigation. The first one featured our colleagues at ICAO and this one from ATR, featuring the team at Mount Cook Airlines.This second video is more a ‘how to’. Both ar...

Congratulations to the RNZAF on getting Performance Based Navigation approval for its fleet of T-6C Texans.Read the extract from the Air Force News (issue 194) belowAir Force NewsArticle by RebeccaThe fleet of T-6C Texans has been approved ...

 The NZ Airports Association and Aviation NZ speak about the benefits of their participation in the New Southern Sky programme.

In the second of our NSS Working Group  series, Mike Haines, Head of Policy, Standards and Safety Improvement at Airways NZ and Ashok Poduval, Chief Executive of Massey University School of Aviation and representative of Aviation NZ, share ...

The New Southern Sky Working Group has produced a  handy guide to Performance Based Navigation (PBN).  This is literally ‘PBN on a Page’ and we hope you find it useful. For some it will be a handy reference in itself. For others more curiou...

New Southern Sky stakeholders took time out from their recent Working Group meeting to talk about how members of the group view working together to deliver the National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan for New Zealand.In the short clip belo...

The National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan contains an objective for the NSS programme to 'complete further analysis of the need for Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS)'.In 2015, NSS (Ministry of Transport / LINZ / CAA) completed...

It's Airways New Zealand's 30th birthday today. The NSS team wishes Team Airways many happy returns.All the best.

The aviation system is a key component in New Zealand’s transport infrastructure in normal times, and in response to events ranging from rescue helicopter response to road traffic crashes, through to full-scale civil defence emergency respo...

The potential benefits of in-flight MET access have been highlighted by New Southern Sky stakeholders at System Wide Information Management (SWIM) workshops and during the NSS roadshows.Following an initiative by the Civil Aviation Authorit...

The New Southern Sky programme produced a Ground Based Navigation Aid (GBNA) strategy paper at the end of 2016. This is aligned with similar work under way worldwide to rationalise GBNA infrastructure in the light of the navigation capabili...

The National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan from which the New Southern Sky takes its guidance for modernising the New Zealand aviation system, states: ‘New Zealand’s future air traffic control systems will need to become more sophisticat...

Modernising New Zealand’s aviation system is no easy task but we’re up for the challenge!We’ve set some clear targets for key projects that will result in significant benefits for both operators and the travelling public that will enable mo...

The NSS Roadshow visited Hawera Aero Club in Taranaki last Friday to brief club members and visitors on the programme. An hour long briefing was followed by some great questions from the audience which included IFR fliers from HNZ in New Pl...

Chief of Air Force (CAF) Air Vice Marshal Tony Davies and his team met with the New Southern Sky (NSS) director and Civil Aviation Authority staff on Wednesday 1 February for a briefing on the programme. NSS director Steve Smyth says CAF wa...

Following the huge interest in the NSS Roadshow last year, the aviators from Taranaki contacted us to ask if we could facilitate a Roadshow for them.  NSS is delighted to announce that the Roadshow will visit the Hawera Aero Club, Waihi Roa...

As we approach Christmas  it’s a good time to reflect on 2016 and the outstanding efforts of everyone involved in our multi-agency, collaborative programme to update the New Zealand aviation system.Looking Back - HighlightsThe year began wi...

Last Friday Mark Hughes (Deputy Director Air Transport and Airworthiness), and the New Southern Sky (NSS) team welcomed a delegation from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) to receive a briefing on the plans and challenges associated wi...

The NSS Roadshow in September and early October covered nine different locations from North Shore to Invercargill.It was great to have such engaged and informed audiences. Along the way we were asked various questions. We have tried to capt...

The New Southern Sky (NSS) team delivered its final presentation to a packed audience in Wellington yesterday afternoon as part of the nationwide roadshow that began in mid-September.The session at CAA National Office brought together over ...

New Southern Sky held a System Wide Information Management (SWIM) workshop today at the Civil Aviation Authority in Wellington. The SWIM concept involves sharing of aeronautical data through common, standardised formats.Guests including Air...

The New Southern Sky Roadshow kicked off the South Island leg of their nationwide tour yesterday, visiting the Nelson Aero Club.The level of attendance for the North Island sessions have exceeded all expectations, with standing room only on...

A new satellite-supported system designed to replace radar as New Zealand’s main aircraft tracking technology is a step closer. Airways New Zealand has secured a supplier of ground infrastructure for its Automatic Dependent Surveillance – B...

The second leg of the New Southern Sky (NSS) September Roadshow was greeted by a bumper turnout in Waikato yesterday.More than 50 people including flight training organisations, recreational flyers, regular public transport (RPT) operators ...

The New Southern Sky (NSS) September Roadshow kicked off yesterday in Auckland at Ardmore Airport and the North Shore Aero Club. The well-attended sessions brought together flight training organisations, recreational flyers, smaller RPT ope...

Big changes are happening in New Zealand’s airspace and the team leading the changes will visit a range of locations around the country later this month to let people know about the changes.Steve Smyth, Director of the New Southern Sky prog...

With only one week until the official kick off, spaces to attend the New Southern Sky September Roadshow are filling up fast. With a focus on programme benefits and what the programme will mean for you, these sessions will be of particular ...

Congratulations to Massey University School of Aviation which has this week been approved by CAA  to carry out Required Navigation Performance (RNP) operations on its 12 Diamond DA40 single-engine trainers. This is a significant milestone; ...

Due to popular demand, Wellington has now been included as a NSS September Roadshow stop-over destination. Wellington will host a session from 1.00pm - 3.00pm on October 6th 2016 at the Civil Aviation Authority, Asteron Building, 55 Feather...

New Southern Sky programme director, Steve Smyth, will be sharing the benefits of the programme with delegates at the NZ Airports Association conference next month.“Modernisation of New Zealand’s aviation system is a totally collaborative e...

If you missed the Approach 16 forum – never fear! Many of the presentations are now online for your perusal (scroll down to find links to the presentations). New Southern Sky programme director, Steve Smyth, told participants at the closing...

Getting match fit for Performance Based Navigation – that’s the theme of Approach16, a two-day forum that kicked off this morning in Wellington.About 70 aviation staff and industry representatives, from New Zealand, Australia, the Cook Isla...

20/20 A-CDM from Gentrack has landed at Auckland Airport and Wellington Airport New Zealand airports are first to embrace collaborative decision making in Australasia and are reaping the benefits. Airport CDM is revolutionizing airport oper...

The New Southern Sky (NSS) ‘team’ including CAA, Airways and other members of the NSS Working Group are travelling around New Zealand in September to present an update on the New Southern Sky programme. If you fly in, or plan to fly in, con...

Flight Safety Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's flagship aviation safety magazine, recently looked at the use of required navigation performance (RNP) authorisation required (AR) approaches at Queenstown Airport.Click here to...

Director New Southern Sky has announced the release of the New Zealand aviation system Concept of Operations (CONOPs) 2023 Version 1.This document has been produced by the New Southern Sky Working Group, with support from additional subject...

We are currently advertising for a full-time, fixed-term (3 years) Programme Coordinator to join the New Southern Sky team.Click here for the position description.If you wish to apply please send your CV and covering letter to jobs@caa.govt...

Note 17-18 August in your diary and keep an eye out for updates on our events page.

The New Southern Sky (NSS) Conference at Auckland Airport on May 9-10 began with a short video address from Prime Minister John Key, who stressed the importance of NSS and the value of the programme to the New Zealand economy.This set the t...

Does collaboration really get things done, faster and better?EUROCONTROL reports that for airports applying its collaborative decision-making concept, the answer is indubitably: “Yes!”.Click here  for the article, which includes a link to E...

A new ADS-B kit due to soon hit the US market—subject to FAA approval—may signal increasing affordability of this technology.Priced at US$2,995 (down from US$3,490), the panel-mounted 1090 ES transponder still includes built-in WAAS GPS and...

We are pleased to announce the following speakers have joined the line-up for the New Southern Sky Conference 2016 on 9th-10th May at Novotel Auckland International Airport:Greg Hood Airservices Australia, Executive General Manager, Air Tra...

New Southern Sky Director Steve Smyth talks about the upcoming conference and the interesting range of presenters lined up to speak. 

The latest edition of Airspace features an editorial with Airways’ CEO Ed Sims, who took the opportunity to highlight the collaborative nature of the CAA-led New Southern Sky (NSS) programme and the benefits it will bring:“NSS is our indust...

The New Southern Sky Conference 2016 Draft Programme has been updated.Click here to view the Draft Programme.

The CAA has released two discussion documents: one on proposal to change the GNSS rules and one on the proposal to mandate ADS-B above flight level 245.Join the discussion.

GNSS Sole Means Recommendation Report Global Navigation Satellite System Sole Means Recommendation Report One of the most significant aspects of New Southern Sky is the proposed move from land-based to space-based navigation systems...

From time to time we will issue interim guidance and advice to enable operators to continue to fly safely while new Civil Aviation Rules and Advisory Circulars are under development.This will help operators make the most of the advantages t...

The introduction of ADS-B is a key proposal under New Southern Sky’s surveillance work-stream and the team at Airways has been hard at work to make it a reality.ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast and it is set to be...

Santa has teamed up with Australian Air Navigation Service Provider Airservices to ensure children around the lucky country are not disappointed on Christmas morning. He got in touch with Airservices a few months back to help him meet the d...

Seasons Greetings!As we approach Christmas 2015 and New Southern Sky (NSS) Stage 1 nears completion, it’s a good time to reflect on the year and the outstanding efforts of everyone involved in our multi-agency, collaborative programme to mo...

Hailing from around the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, over 100 members of the Aircraft Electronics Association gathered recently at the Association's  South Pacific Regional conference in Queenstown.The CAA's Ray Harvey, Manager...

If you are an aviation professional or work in a related industry, we want you to help us shape the future of New Zealand aviation at the first New Southern Sky Conference.We’ve recently secured a venue at  New Zealand’s major international...

Steve Kelly, the New Southern Sky (NSS) team’s latest recruit, brings with him a wealth of experience from military, corporate and commercial air transport in New Zealand and abroad.He joins the CAA's Aerospace Programmes Unit (APU) as Navi...

Information specialists and industry representatives joined the NSS team to take the plunge at the first System Wide Information Management (SWIM) workshop this week.They were gathered to begin the development of a concept of operations for...

We are pleased to announce that both the New Southern Sky (NSS) Director, Steve Smyth, and NSS Working Group member, Ian Andrews (President AOPA) will speak at the NZ Airports Annual Conference 2015 (9th September to 11th September) at the ...

Do you want to help the New Southern Sky (NSS) team put together a concept of operations for the creation of New Zealand aviation System Wide Information Management (SWIM)?If you’ve got the right credentials (you’ll need a recognised track-...

The July/August 2015 edition of Vector, the Civil Aviation Authority’s safety magazine for industry, features an update on the New Southern Sky programme and our proposed move to performance-based navigation. Under this proposal, all aircra...

The New Southern Sky team recently updated its LinkedIn profile and will be increasingly using the social media channel.“Collaboration with all parts of the aviation sector is a key part of the decision making process for New Southern Sky,”...

Last week’s nationwide radar outage put the media spotlight on the future of navigation and surveillance in New Zealand.“While it was an unfortunate event, the outage was quickly resolved by Airways and resulted in minimal disruption to air...

The New Southern Sky team hit the road  this week to brief maintenance organisations, operators, and design organisations of aircraft with 70 seats or less.Held in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, the briefings were well attended, say...

Pictured: Mark Hughes (left) receives a copy of the National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan from outgoing Governance Group Chair, Stephen Hunt. The New Southern Sky Governance Group welcomed Quentin Hay as its new independent member yeste...

In June the New Southern Sky team will undertake a roadshow in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington  for operators of aircraft with 70 seats or less.The aim of the roadshow is to exchange information and for the NSS team to listen to the o...

Pictured (left to right) : Glen-Marie Burns (MOT), Mike Haines (Airways), and Bob Fletcher (Air New Zealand) With a focus on getting the approach to system safety agreed, a wide variety of topics including safety metric development, and sys...

It was great to see the free MetFlight service for general aviation fliers announced in the Budget recently.Check out the media release here.

The New Southern Sky Governance Group met in Wellington last week to review the progress of the programme with a focus on performance metrics and safety impacts. The Governance Group noted the very good progress that the Safety Group has ma...

Because the changes we’re proposing will affect participants from across the aviation system, it’s important to make our plans clear to a wide range of industry groups so we can hear and consider their views.We’ve recently met with a couple...

It’s been a busy first six months for the New Southern Sky team, which has been working hard to map out a plan to modernise New Zealand’s aviation system over the next ten years.NSS Director Steve Smyth says 30 projects have been scoped for...

When it comes to music, sport and cuisine, we like to point out that there are many differences between New Zealand and our near neighbours across the Tasman.But when it comes to aviation systems, we have a lot in common. So when we were as...