Airways is New Zealand’s air navigation service provider. Our staff of 780 deliver air navigation and air traffic management consultancy and training services throughout New Zealand and in over 65 countries.
They provide:
air traffic control
air navigation infrastructure
flight path management
technical and engineering services
design airspace requirements
flight maps and charts
air traffic control training
flight inspection services.
Airways controls all domestic and international air traffic travelling within New Zealand’s Flight Information Region (FIR), which totals 30 million square kilometres – one of the largest areas of airspace in the world.
The NZ domestic FIR covers the entire country and surrounding coastline with both 'controlled' and 'uncontrolled' airspace.
The Auckland Oceanic FIR covers 26 million square kilometres of the Pacific and Tasman Oceans, extending from the South Pole to 5 degrees south of the equator. We are responsible for aircraft flying between 24,500 feet and 46,000 feet in this sector.
Within the FIRs, there are also areas of uncontrolled airspace, where (light) aircraft are not separated by a controller but receive information and advice to ensure they can conduct their flights safely.