Airways International will welcome a new wave of Airservices Australia air traffic control trainees to its New Zealand-based training academy in 2026, as part of a multi-cohort training agreement – reinforcing a strong and enduring partnership.
The agreement between Airways International, the commercial arm of Airways New Zealand and the Australian air navigation service provider will see several cohorts of Airservices trainees travel to New Zealand over the next 12 months to commence ATC training for aerodrome and surveillance roles, at the Airways Training academy in Christchurch.
The first two groups of students under this new contract will arrive in Christchurch in April 2026, joining an existing Airservices cohort who began training there in October 2025. This follows the successful graduation of two previous Airservices cohorts, with the most recent completing their studies in December and the first graduating in August 2024.
James Evans, Airways International General Manager Commercial, says the contract highlights the strength of the partnership and the trust Airservices places in Airways’ training expertise. “We’re proud to continue supporting Airservices Australia in developing highly skilled air traffic controllers. This agreement reflects the confidence in our training programmes and our ability to deliver world-class outcomes, and also demonstrates the value of collaboration between our organisations.”
Airservices Australia Chief Executive Officer Rob Sharp says the new training agreement would accelerate the organisation’s onboarding of new air traffic controllers to meet current and future air traffic management demands. “Airservices is exploring all opportunities to safely and efficiently fast-track controller training and recruitment, as part of a collaborative aviation industry approach to improving outcomes for the travelling public,” Sharp says.
This latest agreement builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Airways New Zealand and Airservices Australia at Airspace Asia Pacific in Hong Kong in December 2025, outlining a framework for collaboration across a range of strategic initiatives including air traffic services training. It follows an initial ATC training contract signed in November 2023, which marked the beginning of a successful training relationship. Airservices has also recently adopted Airways International’s full SureSelect ATC selection suite for the robust and validated selection of candidates for ATC training.
Training at Airways’ Christchurch academy offers significant benefits, including access to advanced TotalControl simulation technology, modern facilities and highly experienced instructors. These resources ensure trainees receive world-class training that prepares them for the complex demands of air traffic management. By investing in high-quality training, Airways International and Airservices are helping to strengthen global aviation safety and workforce development, ensuring the industry is ready to meet future challenges.
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