Last week, aviation news in New Zealand featured the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report into the close encounter between an object, a likely drone, and an Air NZ A320 aircraft over Auckland in 2024.
The mainstream media (Stuff, NZ Herald and Radio NZ) contacted AIANZ for comment on the report.
We were able to use the release of the TAIC report to reinforce the repeated calls the Association has made to the CAA and the MOT for drone licensing.
This story published in the Herald online (and highlighted in the Weekend print edition), provided an opportunity for both AIANZ and UAVNZ, as the peak bodies, to state in public our views on the need for better enforcement and standards.
UAVNZ Chair Isaac Henderson articulated the urgent need for the licensing and training of drone operators, as he noted the repeated calls made to the CAA and the MOT by our respective associations on this matter.
Last week’s media complemented recent media coverage that featured the NZ Agriculture Aviation Association (NZAAA) in a Radio NZ piece on Halter Towers and a profile piece in Engineering NZ on the challenges being faced by aviation engineers because of a workforce shortage.
The power and reach of the media should never be underestimated, just look at how the news exposure helped our advocacy on the FENZ levies last year. What’s in the media is noticed and read by politicians, policymakers and the public, not only our membership.
So as small as we are, AIANZ will use these opportunities to publish our work and obtain as much leverage as we can on the issues that matter the most to our members in the commercial aviation industry.
Read more:
RNZ Morning News: Executive Officer Tony Michelle discusses Halter Towers
EngineeringNZ: Elevating Aviation Engineering