New Zealand has renewed its contract with the Cook Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Samoa and Niue to provide air traffic control services.

The Pacific Upper Airspace agreement is serviced by Airways NZ which also provides all NZ’s air navigation services.  The state-owned enterprise has built a worldwide business over the past decade.

Simon Bridges, NZ’s transport minister, said “Airways is globally renowned and respected for leading innovation and development in the aviation sector and has provided air traffic control services under the Upper Airspace agreement for the past fifteen years.”

The minister pointed out the agreement complements the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Pacific region and in particular the Pacific Aeronautical Charting and Procedures program. 

This program is implementing satellite-based approach procedures at 38 airports across the Pacific to improve the ability of aircraft to land safely, especially in poor weather.