NZAAA was the inaugural division of the original AIANZ
Founded in 1949, meaning this year it celebrates 75 years of successful operations. It was initially known as the NZ Aerial Work Operators Association. The aim of NZAAA is to provide an environment where its members can prosper, while working in safe environments.
NZAAA Chair
Kent Weir
Executive Officer
Tony Michelle
Supporting Primary Production and Protecting Our Environment
The New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) advocates on behalf of the agricultural aviation industry to ensure that civil aviation rules, environmental regulation, and district and regional planning provisions are practical, proportionate and appropriate for agricultural operations.
Our advocacy spans aviation safety and operational requirements, the use of rural airstrips and helicopter landing areas, and the aerial application of agrichemicals and fertilisers.
Through this work, we seek to support safe operations and responsible environmental management while protecting the industry’s ability to deliver essential services to farming, forestry, horticulture, conservation, biosecurity and rural communities.
Advocating for Industry
NZAAA engages with the Civil Aviation Authority to advocate for practical, risk-based rules that enhance safety and reflect the realities of agricultural aviation. We seek to connect policy with practice to promote informed decision making, shared learning and safer operations.
Through submissions, hearings, appeals and direct engagement with regulators, NZAAA has successfully advocated for changes to proposed district and regional council rules that would have restricted aviation activities.
This work extends to engagement with the Environmental Protection Authority, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Worksafe and other regulatory agencies to support practical, proportionate requirements that protect the environment while enabling agricultural aviation operations.
Industry Size
Currently, there are circa 105 Part 137 certificated agricultural operators
Fixed wing aircraft include the Fletcher FU24, turbine-powered Fletchers, Crescos, XL750s Air Tractors and the GA200 Fatman.
Helicopter types range from the small H300 through to the Robinson series, the Bell 206 series, MDH series, Airbus AS350 series to the Bell UH-1H.
View our other divisions
NZ Helicopter Association (NZHA)
As with its counterpart, the NZHA promotes the interests of its members in addressing issues that threaten the operations of helicopters whether that use is for commercial or private means.
Service, Supply and Engineering Division (SSE)
SSE is a division of AIANZ and represents aircraft engineering operations as well as other suppliers to the aviation industry. As with the other AIANZ divisions, SSE is an advocate for matters that impact engineering and supply operators.
Training and Development
This division of the AIANZ provides leadership for operators that focus on training and development for the aviation industry.
Operational Division
The Operational Division represents the diverse interests of commercial fixed-wing operators, whether they are regular scheduled airlines providing services to, through and beyond New Zealand, or non-scheduled air transport or freight operators.
Agricultural Drone Operators
AIANZ offers a joint membership programme for agricultural drone operators. This programme offers people the opportunity to join both the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) and UAVNZ divisions under a single membership of the Aviation Industry Association.
