RNZAF Base Ohakea will be made available around the clock as an alternate landing airport for wide-body international aircraft under a new Government-backed aviation initiative aimed at strengthening New Zealand’s air connectivity and resilience.
Associate Transport Minister James Meager announced the Government has approved funding for Airways New Zealand to introduce 24-hour air traffic control services at the Manawatū air base. The move removes a long-standing limitation that previously prevented diverted international flights from using Ohakea overnight.
Under international aviation safety rules, commercial flights must nominate an alternative airport in case their intended destination becomes unavailable due to weather or operational disruptions. Until now, Ohakea could not fulfil that role outside daytime hours because air traffic control services were unavailable overnight.
The upgrade will allow large aircraft unable to land at Auckland or Christchurch airports to divert to Ohakea at any time, improving operational flexibility for airlines. The Government says the change will also allow aircraft to carry less contingency fuel, enabling fuller passenger and freight loads on routes to New Zealand.
Officials say the decision completes a key commitment under the Government’s Aviation Action Plan, launched in September last year to strengthen and future-proof the aviation sector. Of the plan’s 25 actions, 10 have been completed within six months, including workforce initiatives, regulatory updates to support advanced aviation technologies, and collaboration with Australia on sustainable aviation fuel development.
Other completed measures include updates to pilot training programmes, identification of future aviation workforce skills, assessments of infrastructure and fuel requirements, and analysis of sector-wide government charges and costs.
The Government is also supporting regional air connectivity through loans to smaller airlines and investment in interlining arrangements aimed at maintaining vulnerable domestic routes.
Meager said the initiatives were designed to reduce operational barriers for airlines while supporting tourism, exports and long-term industry growth, adding that cooperation between government and industry had been central to progress under the Aviation Action Plan.
