Pathway confirmed for aviation training in Whanganui
Published on 05 November 2025
New Zealand’s largest flight training school will soon be operating from Whanganui Airport, after reaching an agreement with Whanganui District Council in October.
The New Zealand Airline Academy Limited (NZAAL), which has its headquarters in Oamaru, will be on the ground in Whanganui by early January.
Agreements with Whanganui District Council include leases of the hangar and flight school facility at Airport Road, and the College Estate and Hato Hōhepa accommodation facilities at market value. The leases will run for an initial 10-year term with rights to extend for a further 15 years.
Mayor Andrew Tripe says bringing NZAAL to Whanganui ensures a strong future for aviation training in the district. “I’m really looking forward to welcoming this expanding business to Whanganui. They use advanced technology and safety features and have a genuine passion for aviation.”
“The aviation training sector contributes an estimated $9.5 million to Whanganui’s economy and airport, and this pathway helps ensure that benefit continue. Our airport is currently the fifth busiest airport in the country by landings and NZAAL’s presence in Whanganui further enhances its viability.”
NZAAL director and chief executive Jonathan Manuel says the Whanganui District Council chief executive, mayor, councillors along with Whanganui District Holdings Limited (Holdings) chair Carolyn van Leuven and director Lucy Elwood have been “incredibly supportive and instrumental in helping us establish our second base in Whanganui.
“Celroy (NZAAL director and head of training) and I have been searching for the ideal location for a second base for a long time, and Whanganui fits our requirements perfectly.
“Our plan is to steadily grow student numbers and position our Whanganui base as a preferred destination for global airlines to train their cadets, in line with our vision statement ‘to be one of the world’s leading airline training solutions providers’.”
Mayor Andrew says the agreement will enable the council to divest its ownership in the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICPA) after a transition period expected to run through to mid-2026. “Our focus has been on achieving the best result possible for staff, ensuring current students can complete their training, and reducing financial risks for the council.”
NZICPA’s operations were suspended earlier this year by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) due to safety concerns, but full confidence has been restored and the company has resumed training operations.
Whanganui District Holdings Limited (Holdings) chair, Carolyn van Leuven says options for the future of NZICPA and flight training in Whanganui have been thoroughly explored, and that it was always intended that operations would eventually transition to a private operator.
“The long-term deal with NZAAL will enable the Whanganui economy and community to retain the benefits of having a high-quality flight training facility in the city,” she says, “but without the risks to ratepayers associated with council ownership.”
NZICPA chair Matthew Doyle says, “Transitional arrangements between the two schools are being mapped out, and students have been able to decide whether continue their training with NZICPA or NZAAL. We have been working hard to ensure there are positive outcomes for staff as well.”
Carolyn van Leuven notes that “Asset sales are another piece of the puzzle and Holdings is working on a potential share sale of NZICPA and divesting aircraft and other assets that are no longer needed with the transition to a new operator over the coming months.”
Mayor Andrew acknowledges this has been an unsettling time for staff and students and says, “I thank them for their ongoing patience through this process.”
He says, “The council will undertake a full review of NZICPA’s performance leading up to the CAA suspension this year. We want to understand what happened so we can benefit from this learning as a council and share our findings with the public.”