22 April 2025
Wayne Hudson
By email: [FYI request #30506 email]
Tēnā koe Wayne,
Re: Request for information under the Official Information Act (25/OIR/215)
1. Your information request dated 24 March 2025 refers:
In March 2023, Quality Aviation Consulting conducted an Aeronautical Study of Wanaka
Airport to address to assess aerodrome layout and design requirements for certification
under Part 139.
The Part 139 requirements for certification appear to apply only if the Airport allows
international flights or take-offs and landings by aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats.
There is nothing to indicate that either of these requirements applies to Wanaka Airport.
Would you therefore please provide copies of all correspondence (internal and external) and
other information that led to CAA's involvement in the decision to require the preparation of
the Aeronautical Study.
2. The information you have requested is enclosed with this letter.
3. The Authority has withheld certain information under section 9(2)(a) of the Official
Information Act to protect the privacy of natural persons. We do not consider in the
circumstances of the present case that there are public interest factors that outweighs the
need the withhold personal y identifying information.
4. You have referred to the specific requirements for a Part 139 aerodrome operator certificate
in your request. In this situation, the CAA required Wanaka Aerodrome to conduct an
aeronautical study to provide assurance that al aviation safety risks were being
appropriately managed. The Aerodrome Aeronautical Study produced by Wanaka
Aerodrome recommended
qualifying aerodrome operator certification. In reviewing the
Aeronautical Study and its recommendations, the CAA agrees that qualifying aerodrome
certification is appropriate. It should be noted that a qualifying aerodrome certificate, is
different from a ful aerodrome certificate. The requirements for a ful aerodrome operator
certificate are prescriptive (CAR 139.5), whereas the Director, after receiving an aeronautical
study, must determine that an aerodrome is a qualifying aerodrome if they consider that the
level of risk to aviation safety is such that it must be operated under the authority of a
qualifying aerodrome operator certificate (CAR 139.23).
PO Box 3555, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Tel: +64 4 560 9400, Fax: +64 4 569 2024, Email: [email address], Web: www.caa.govt.nz
5. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
6. Please do not hesitate to contact me at
[CAA request email] if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely
Nga Mihi,
Resolutions Team | Rōpū Whakatau
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand |
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa |
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Released
From:
Nick Jackson
To:
s9(2)(a)
Cc:
Andrew Mercer
Subject:
CAA trip to NZWF 14 & 15 March - brief notes
Date:
Monday, 21 March 2022 9:56:50 am
Attachments:
image001.png
Hi s9
Below is a quick wrap of the conversations CAA had last week at Queenstown and Wanaka while
(2
you were taking annual leave.
Met with QAC CE – he recognises the need to rebuild the relationship between QAC and
Wanaka Community. Was open to NZWK operating under a Part 139 Qualifying
Aerodrome Certificate. Stressed importance of timing and good comms.
Out of scope
Met with Out of scope
. s9( drove me and Andrew around the airfield for ‘Famil’
purposes only . Aerodrome looks well managed and as you say , it is very flat ! Only thing I
2)
noticed was that some additional fences will need to be installed in between some of the
side by side hangars – this is to ensure persons cannot sneek into the operational area by
walking between the hangars. This was not a formal aerodrome inspection and we can do
a Part 139 gap analysis later in the year. There is a possibility that NZWF can gain a
Qualifying Aerodrome Certificate by applying CAR139.5A(c), without the need for an
aeronautical study.
Met with Quinton from QLDC- meeting was via Teams s9(2)(a)
! The
Council are keen to be seen as the drivers of any engagement or change at the airport.
Which makes sense after the recent court case & community feeling etc. Again timing of
any comms is key . Quinton was mindful of the local elections in October/November. CAA
is flexible with the application of the regulatory timeline for Qualifying status. Key point
being that once this piece of work is formally commenced it has to be completed. In
summary QLDC were not anti-Certification and see the benefit certification brings moving
forward with the LTP at NZWF. They just require to have a level of control over the
timeline, which is a reasonable and usual request from a Council.
Regards,
under the Official Information Act
Nick Jackson|Technical Specialist (Aerodromes) – Aeronautical Services
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Q
Aviation Security Service
Te
Mana Rererangi Tumatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Aviation Infrastructure and Personnel | Aeronautical Services
[email address]
* Level 15, Asteron Centre, 55 Featherston Street, PO Box 3555, Wellington, 6011 New Zealand
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
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Official
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The completed study must be provided to the DCA no later than 24 December 2022. After
submission of the study the DCA may require further information to be provided before
considering if the risk to aviation safety is such that it must be managed under the authority
of a qualifying aerodrome operator certificate.
I wil be the point of contact for any further queries.
Kind Regards,
Nick Jackson
Act
Nick Jackson
Technical Specialist (Aerodromes) Aeronautical Services Unit
Information
Official
the
under
Released
From:
Nick Jackson
To:
Quintin Howard
Cc:
Andrew Mercer
Subject:
Wanaka aerodrome- Requirement to conduct an aeronautical study.
Date:
Friday, 8 April 2022 8:18:11 am
Attachments:
20220408 Requirement to conduct an aeronautical study-Wanaka aerodrome.docx
image001.png
Good Morning Quintin,
Please refer attached and acknowledge receipt.
Regards,
Act
Nick Jackson|Technical Specialist (Aerodromes) – Aeronautical Services
027 256 6805
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Q
Aviation Security Service
Te
Mana Rererangi Tumatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Aviation Infrastructure and Personnel | Aeronautical Services
[email address]
* Level 15, Asteron Centre, 55 Featherston Street, PO Box 3555, Wellington, 6011 New Zealand
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
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09 March 2022 1030-1110hrs
First meeting with Wanaka aerodrome (NZWF) ref Qualifying aerodrome certification
Present: Andrew Mercer & Nick Jackson (CAA) and s9(2)(a)
(NZWF Airport Manager)
Points discussed as follows:
• Introductions
• Brief history of NZQN and NZWF previous combined vision of 3.5mil ion pax at each port
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• Current Lease and Management agreement update
• NZWF were aware that CAA would be approaching then to discuss Certificate options
• Aerodrome is fully fenced , although in some places it may need upgrading
• QLDC will need upskilling on the requirements (CAA is meeting with them on the 15th March
2022)
• NZWF use a lot of QAC manuals and processes and their SMS
• s is likely to become a Senior Person on the QAC Part 139 Certificate for purposes of resilience
• 9(
Discussed if any QLDC members had appetite to be NZWF airport CE
• Triggers for Certification as follows:
Information
o increasing frequency movements of RPT by Sounds air (although currently reduced due
COVID)
o complexity of operations at NZWF
o lack of any visible strategic direction.
• Airport Manager has a support staff member now after 2 years working by herself . s9(2) has
retired and replaced by
( )
s9(2)(a)
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