regulation
International airlines serving New Zealand, including New Zealand airlines, are required to hold an
international air service licence, which prescribes the routes and capacity that may be operated by the airline concerned.
Licensing provides the mechanism for ensuring airlines abide by the air traffic rights exchanged in bilateral negotiations. For New Zealand airlines, licensing is also the method for allocating New Zealand’s air traffic rights which, under most agreements, are still restricted. The Minister of Transport is the licensing authority for New Zealand international airlines, except for licences granted for services to and from countries with which an open aviation market has been negotiated (e.g., Australia), where the role has been assigned by statute to the Ministry.
