The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Statement of Intent (SOI) and Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE), published on 1 July, set out what the organisation will deliver and how it will measure progress.
Both documents can be downloaded from our corporate publications page.
For the first time the SPE highlights CAA’s new safety and security focus areas for the 2026-2027 year. See table below.
“These will drive where we direct our regulatory effort across the aviation system, so we can have the greatest impact,” CAA Director Kane Patena says. “We’ll work closely with the sector through targeted engagement and education, helping participants and organisations meet their safety and security responsibilities and manage their own risks effectively.”
“A recent example of this approach is our work on dangerous goods and lithium battery safety through airport security. By identifying this as a key risk area, we focused efforts on targeted education and awareness activities, helping industry participants and passengers better understand and manage the risks traveling with these items brings.” Patena says.
These focus areas have been informed by ICAO’s global and regional priorities, alongside an understanding of New Zealand’s unique aviation environment and domestic context. The CAA intends to review these periodically to ensure they remain fit for purpose and to ensure our regulatory efforts continue to be directed towards the areas where they can have the greatest impact on aviation safety and security outcomes.
Patena says the documents provide a clear line of sight between the organisation’s strategy, delivery and Government expectations.
“The SOI and SPE outline what matters most for aviation safety and security right now, and how we will demonstrate progress against our deliverables with practical actions and measurable results.”
“Our intent is on being a safety-focused, efficient, and responsive regulator to support the aviation sector, align with Government expectations and facilitate a safe and secure aviation system for New Zealand.”
The SOI outlines the CAA’s medium-term direction for the next four financial years from 2026 to 2030, including how it will track progress against its vision and purpose.
The SPE is published annually and focuses on delivery in 2026-27. It sets out the five activities the CAA is funded to deliver, the results it is aiming to achieve, and how performance will be measured. These activities are:
- Policy and rule settings
- Education and engagement
- Certification and licensing
- Monitoring and investigation
- Security delivery.
Together, the SOI and SPE meet the CAA’s statutory reporting requirements under the Crown Entities Act 2004 and provide transparency about its priorities, performance, and use of public resources.
The performance measures in these documents also support quarterly and annual reporting, providing a clearer picture of progress and impact. The SPE includes financial statements and estimated costs for 2026-27, outlining the resources required to deliver work programmes.
Performance measures for 2026-27 have been refreshed to ensure they remain relevant, clear, and useful for tracking performance over time.
Overall, the SOI and SPE link the CAA’s strategic direction with its day-to-day activities, showing how priorities translate into measurable results and public value.
CAA’s focus over the next 18-24 months also includes work to modernise CAA’s regulatory certification and decision-making processes, continue its progress with the Rules Update Programme, and deliver a new Business Transformation Programme which will make targeted investments across technology, capability and systems to drive CAA’s performance.
As New Zealand’s aviation regulator, the CAA’s primary focus is maintaining aviation safety and security. This focus underpins all decisions and actions, helping ensure the aviation system remains safe and secure for those who work in, and rely on it. Over time, this has contributed to a sustained reduction in aviation accidents and fatalities.
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