Pilots say claims by whistleblowers at the Civil Aviation Authority about poor culture are “serious” and warrant a ministerial investigation. Video / NZ Herald
Pilots say allegations made by whistleblowers at the Civil Aviation Authority about poor culture are “serious” and warrant a ministerial investigation.
The Herald interviewed seven sources, comprised of current CAA staff and former employees, who said they felt the behaviour of some senior leaders at CAA was appalling.
The president of the New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association, Andrew McKeen, said the aviation industry needs an effective and well-functioning regulator.
“Any workplace accusations such as those need to be taken seriously and properly investigated.”
He said a ministerial investigation, like that initiated in 2019 after concerns by staff, would be “the best place to start”.
Andrew McKeen is president of the Air Line Pilots' Association.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown did not respond to specific questions from the Herald about the allegations from CAA insiders about a toxic workplace. Nor would he say whether he’d investigate.
“Since taking office, I have heard a range of concerns from stakeholders about CAA’s delivery and performance,” he told the Herald in a statement.
As a result, he said, he had replaced five CAA board members, which involved appointing a new chair and deputy chair.
When he announced a “refreshed” board in a statement on August 7, Brown said it was being done to ensure faster approval times for aviation certificates and reduced queue times for security checks at airports.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell
A CAA spokesperson has told the Herald that having a safe, inclusive workplace remains an “ongoing priority” for the director, Keith Manch.
Sources were also concerned the CAA was pivoting from a safety regulator to one that was more focused on enforcement and prosecutions.
It’s feared this would mean aviation operators would be less likely to be transparent about incidents like near misses or mechanical issues and report them to the CAA.
Herald sources believed the move would ultimately endanger the public.
A spokesperson for the agency said the changes the CAA is undertaking are “not about increasing enforcement activity”.
His members include 2100 pilots and hundreds of air traffic controllers, ranging from Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Qantas New Zealand pilots right down to small helicopter operators.
“Our view is the lens is looking too far down the line of successful prosecutions and convictions and that needs to be addressed for us to be satisfied,” he told the Herald.
He said more accidents “could be an outcome”.
Concerns about the changes at CAA were raised by several members, McKeen said, and he’d written to CAA director Keith Manch about this.
Air New Zealand would not comment on whether it had complained to the CAA.
McKeen said the concerns were “absolutely” widespread and emphasised the importance of having a positive “no fear” safety culture in aviation.
“So there’s no fear coming forward with an unintentional error or a poor decision or a mistake that you’ve made.”
The Aviation Industry Association chief executive, Simon Wallace, said he’d also had concerns raised by his members.
Simon Wallace is chief executive of the Aviation Industry Association.
“The Aviation Industry Association has fielded some concerns from its members about a punitive approach or an overly punitive approach by the CAA on some matters.”
Wallace represents commercial aviation operators covering fixed-wing and helicopter operators including agriculture, tourism, and search and rescue services.
He’s also speaking with the CAA’s director about the concerns.
“CAA with the industry has got a mantra around what is known as ‘just culture’ or a duty of care. That is premised, if you like, on working with aviation operators to help them through particular issues rather than come in and adopt a punitive approach,” he said.
“We are reminding the CAA of that just culture.”
Wallace’s greatest concern was how long it was taking the CAA to issue operators with operations specifications – the paperwork and airworthiness checks required so they could use their aircraft.
He said there had been cases of aircraft sitting on the ground for more than 12 months which was “too long”.
“That’s lost money, it’s lost time. It means they’re letting their customers and their clients down.”
Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won the best coverage of a major news event at the 2024 Voyager NZ Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald’s video team in July 2024.
