NZ Airports sets four priorities for growth and a better-connected New Zealand

NZ Airports is calling on all political parties to back four practical priorities in its 2026 election manifesto, Airports for growth, beginning with consistent public reporting on domestic airfares, airline capacity and competition. Chief Executive Graeme Sharman says airports provide essential infrastructure for passengers, businesses, exporters and communities. “New Zealand needs an aviation system that provides affordable and reliable connections, supports regional growth and gives airports and airlines confidence to invest for the future. Decisions made during the next parliamentary term will shape our connectivity, resilience and growth capacity for decades.” Air connectivity is particularly important for regional centres, where flights link communities to specialist healthcare, business and export markets, and where alternatives are limited. “For many regional communities, aviation is essential infrastructure rather than a discretionary service. Better evidence will help government identify where connectivity is under pressure and consider proportionate action before important services are lost,” Sharman said. The manifesto calls on all political parties to: Monitor fares, capacity and competition Maintain stable regulation that supports investment and consumers Protect airports’ ability to operate and grow Back tourism and international connectivity The first priority is a permanent public monitoring programme covering domestic airfares, airline capacity, service reliability and competition. New Zealand’s domestic aviation market is highly concentrated. One airline holds more than 80 percent of the domestic market, and most regional routes are served by a single airline. Where competition is limited, good public information matters more, not less. NZ Airports is seeking regular analysis by airline and route, with particular attention to routes served by a single airline. Comparable reporting would account for factors such as booking timing, route mix and fare conditions. “New Zealand is a small market with long, thin routes, and that shapes what any airline can sustain commercially. The question is whether the public can see enough to know how well the system is working. New Zealanders should be able to see how fares, available seats, reliability and competition are changing. Route averages can obscure important differences between airlines, and better information would help passengers, businesses and government understand what is happening in the market,” Sharman said. The Civil Aviation Act 2023 already enables the government to require aviation participants to provide information on matters including airfare trends, passenger volumes and flight movements. NZ Airports wants those powers used to establish a funded and proportionate monitoring programme during the first year of the next parliamentary term. The evidence should be used to identify barriers to commercially sustainable airline entry and expansion, and to respond where essential regional connectivity is under sustained pressure. The manifesto’s remaining priorities call for stable, evidence-based airport regulation; planning protections for safe operations and future growth; and coordinated visa, tourism, border and digital-processing settings that support commercially sustainable international services. Recent international services at Hamilton and Dunedin show what is possible when airports, airlines, government and regions work together. “New Zealand needs strong, sustainable airlines and strong, sustainable airports. We are ready to work constructively with whichever government New Zealanders elect to turn these priorities into practical results,” Sharman said. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]