New Zealand international airlines and foreign international airlines can apply for an open aviation market licence or an international air services licence.
A New Zealand international airline is a New Zealand air transport enterprise that offers or operates a scheduled international air service or intends to offer or operate one.
A foreign international airline is an air transport enterprise belonging to a country or territory other than New Zealand that offers or operates a scheduled international air service or intends to offer or operate one.
Scheduled international airlines can apply for an open aviation market licence for Single Aviation Market (SAM) airlines if they are eligible under the SAM provisions of the Australia–New Zealand Air Services Agreement.
Australia–New Zealand Air Services Agreement
Scheduled international air services
A scheduled international air service is a series of flights that transport passengers, cargo, or mail between New Zealand and one or more points in any other country or territory. The flights must be:
- regular or frequent enough to be considered a systematic service, even without a published timetable, and
- open to use by members of the public.
In order to operate a scheduled international air service to or from New Zealand, including code-sharing on the aircraft of another airline, an airline is required to hold:
- a scheduled international air service licence, or
- an open aviation market licence for scheduled services between New Zealand and countries or territories that have been specifically designated by the Minister of Transport.
Currently open aviation markets include Australia, Brunei, Chile, the Cook Islands, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Samoa, Singapore, Tonga, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.