Highlights of 2021

Covid-19 continued to have a major impact on the Aviation industry and on Aviation NZ. We reinstated subscriptions for the year (they were not invoiced in 2020/21) and were pleased with the number that paid, despite many members being in difficulty. We also continued to receive some sponsorship. As with last year, we ran a minimum cost budget. Given lockdown levels and uncertainty, we again had to postpone the annual conference.

ADVOCACY: WE REPRESENT COMMON INTERESTS WITH ONE VOICE

Submissions:

Increased on 2020 reflecting the ongoing impact of Covid-19, and agencies undertaking a diverse range of work that impacted on the health of the aviation sector. Much of this work was only possible by working with other business and aviation associations and working with companies, especially members, to give us the necessary expertise and resources.

Submissions included Opening the border for high value education (throughout the year), ACC levy changes, EFTs funding, simplifying the qualifications framework, Regional Plans (e.g. Central Hawkes Bay, Southern Lakes, Milford Sound, Selwyn), biofuels, transport fuels, sustainable aviation, airspace integration, RPAS, aviation regulatory changes (including NPRM 20-01 and AC43-1), PPL medicals, tank wagons unattended and CAA levies.

Meetings and input to agencies/organisations including:

Politicians including Ministers of Transport, Covid Response, Finance, Regional Development and a number of politicians from other parties;
Government agencies including Ministries of Education, Primary Industries, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Health, Transport and Environment; MBIE; NZ Trade & Enterprise, Climate Change Commission, DOC, FENZ, ServiceIQ, Metservice, TAIC and Airways;
Regulatory agencies including CAA, NZQA, TEC, MPI, EPA and Worksafe;
Aviation organisations including ACAG, ALPA, Aviation Federation, BARNZ and NZ Airports Assn;
Business associations including Business NZ, Business Councils, Federated Farmers, Fertiliser Assn of NZ, Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and Chambers of Commerce; and
Others including Coroners Court.

Successes
While we can’t claim 100% responsibility, successes in which we had a heavy hand included:

Government approval for 400 international pilot cadets to start arriving in February 2022;
Additional agricultural aviation activities permitted at Alert Levels 4 and 3;
Senior persons being able to travel from Auckland at Alert Level 4;
Government approval of an aviation infrastructure fund;
Represented GA on Climate Change Commission Transport Technical Group and on Sustainable Aviation Aotearoa; and
Guidance and input from many of the Executive Committees has ensured practical and relevant advice to CAA, even if the progress we might want to see has been slow.

Matthew Hooton, NZ Herald, Friday 29 October 2022: ‘Already, the Ministry of Education says the Government will allow 1000 foreign students into New Zealand next year, 400 of them pilot trainees as well as 300 university and 300 polytechnic students. Who knew that private flight schools had better lobbyists than the state tertiary institutions?’

EXPERTISE: WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/ADVICE TO BENEFIT MEMBERS

Advice provided on a wide variety of subjects

Advice was provided in areas including SMS, Incident and safety reports, spray drift, Down to the Wire, AIRCARE, New Southern Sky, ACC premiums, employment contracts, wage changes, relationships and issues with CAA, practical advice to smaller members on SMS, aviation input to FENZ and DoC, and explaining aviation realities - including Ministry of Education, Education NZ, TEC and NZQA.

Successes

Surveys on the health of the industry which gave us real data and allowed facts based contributions to be made to policy agencies - even if the outcomes/programmes did not necessarily result in the real value we were seeking.
SOPs updated for Part 133, 135, 137, 141 and 145 organisations for various Alert levels and kept up to date, to make Government requirements easier to understand for members.
Meetings with the Minister about the effects of Covid-19 on the industry.
Practical input to the Climate Change Commission, with Air New Zealand, to ensure proposals for aviation are more realistic.
Use of Youtube to communicate advice to members.

COMMUNICATIONS: we disseminate relevant and timely information

Website and Social Media Growth
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn presence increased and linked to website and divisional newsletters. This has allowed better use of advice and intelligence and is helping broaden organisation reach.

Aviation NZ Facebook: 586 (427 in 2020), NZAAA Facebook: 1251 (868 in 2020), Aviation NZ LinkedIn: 435 (307 in 2020), CE LinkedIn: 924 (827 in 2019), Twitter: 176 (168 in 2020).

Newsletters

Weekly newsletter, 5 divisional newsletters (NZAAA, NZHA, Training & Development, Engineering & Supply and UAVNZ), specific purpose newsletter mail-outs (e.g. COVID-19, COVID-19 SoPs, member surveys, and Conference). CAA safety statistics updated quarterly and distributed to NZAAA and NZHA members.

Networking with members

While physical meetings were constrained by Covid, we continued member-only newsletters and held the Aviation NZ, and all divisional AGMs by Zoom.

Press releases, articles and presentations

A number of press releases were issued and comments made/interviews given (radio, newspaper and TV) on subjects including CAA Act review, CAA and industry relationships, CAA and Lindsay, electric aircraft and sustainability, impact of Covid on industry, opening the border, preserving the flight training industry, travel bubbles, aviation accidents and aviation safety. Articles on New Zealand aviation appeared in Human Resources Magazine, Aviation News and Business View Oceania.

Successes

11,840 unique visits to website (12 months ended 14 December).
Combined Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn following of 2694 (2204, 2019).
Weekly newsletter circulation 1572 with 35% opening (30%, 2019). 50%+ member opening.
Divisional newsletters - very specific circulation but 65%+ opening.
Website and newsletters reformatted for easier access by mobile devices.

MEMBER BENEFITS: WE IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF MEMBERS TO DO BUSINESS

Savings

Through n3 members saved on average $4000 pa.
Ofx being used by members for foreign exchange transactions.
Manage Company being used to save money on ACC levies (average saving of 41% on levies).

PERFORMANCE: THE ORGANISATION GROWS AND BECOMES STRONGER

Operational surplus of $72,145 but had a deficit of $234,366 after comprehensive revenue (taking Aspeq into consideration) and tax ($339,521 surplus in 2019/20). Total equity of $1.702m compared with $1.936m in 2019/20. 16 new members, with 9 resignations mostly through business closures.

Highlights of 2021