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Engagement Charter

This charter is a commitment to you on the standards we aim to achieve in carrying out our functions.

Download: Engagement Charter [PDF 143 KB]

We've prepared this charter, and made it available for the public, as required by section 28 of the Civil Aviation Act 2023. It replaces the service charter, which was required by section 72G of the Civil Aviation Act 1990.

Section 28 of the Civil Aviation Act 2023(external link)

There are some situations where the Engagement charter may not apply – these are described below, in the section Exercise of statutory powers.

Our standards of engagement

When carrying out our day-to-day functions, we will uphold our organisation’s Values1.

We will:

  • treat you with courtesy and respect
  • identify ourselves by name
  • be helpful, accurate and professional
  • acknowledge all written inquiries within 10 working days
  • provide progress reports where matters proceed over a period of time, that is, if a full response cannot be completed within 10 working days.

In turn we expect you to:

  • treat us with courtesy
  • be open and honest when dealing with us
  • accept that we will not tolerate rude or abusive behaviour
  • tell us how we can improve our services and help us make it easy for you to meet our requirements.

Engagement charter complaints procedure

  1. A complaint that any of our standards of engagement have not been met can be made by contacting the Director of Civil Aviation by:
    • Telephone: 04 560 9400; or
    • Email: info@caa.govt.nz; or
    • Letter to: The Director of Civil Aviation, Civil Aviation Authority, PO Box 3555, Wellington 6140
  2. If the complaint is made by telephone, we recommend that your complaint is confirmed in writing via the CAA complaints webpage: Questions, complaints, and feedback.
  3. All engagement charter complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt. The acknowledgement will identify the CAA contact person responsible for investigating and responding to the complaint. Engagement charter complaints received via the CAA webpage will be automatically acknowledged through the Complaints Inbox. Complainants can reply directly to the Complaints inbox address if they have any further queries in relation to their complaint.
  4. Progress reports will be provided, where processing the complaint is prolonged.
  5. A written response to the letter of complaint will be forwarded to the complainant as soon as practicable.

Remedies

We, the CAA management and staff, are committed to finding a mutually acceptable remedy when it is determined that any of the standards have not been met.

Remedies could include any of the following, when appropriate:

  • an apology;
  • the provision of accurate and complete information to satisfy the original request;
  • corrective measures with respect to CAA procedures to prevent the situation from recurring.

Appointment of an independent person for resolution of a dispute

A written application may be made to the Director for the appointment of an independent person to assist in the resolution of the dispute where a complainant is not satisfied with the CAA response to a complaint that any of the standards have not been met.

If an independent person is appointed by the Director:

  • The CAA and the complainant may make submissions to the independent person.
  • The CAA will pay the costs of the independent person.
  • The independent person shall consider the submissions and make a recommendation to the Director regarding the complaint.
  • The complainant shall be notified of the recommendation of the independent person and any action taken as a result of the recommendation.

For clarity, this process is not the Independent Review Function established in the Civil Aviation Act 2023. Rather, it is a process for ensuring people have appropriate avenues for reviewing and resolving complaints.

Exercise of statutory powers

The Engagement Charter complaints procedure, and remedies set out in the Engagement Charter do not apply to the exercise of statutory powers, or to the exercise of discretionary decision making pursuant to the Civil Aviation Act.

For example, the Engagement Charter does not apply to decisions made by the Director or inspectors relating to, among other things:

  1. the consideration of applications for aviation documents;
  2. suspension or revocation of aviation documents;
  3. the issue of improvement or non-disturbance notices;
  4. the consideration of applications for exemptions from the requirements of the Civil Aviation Rules;
  5. the enforcement of the provisions of the Act or any other Act or of rules or regulations made under any Act.

If your complaint relates to any of those matters, you may complain under the general CAA’s complaints process. There are also other remedies available where a person is aggrieved as a result of decisions made pursuant to the Act. This includes appeal through the courts, and the Independent Review Function established under the Civil Aviation Act 2023, which enables the independent review of some Director decisions.

You can find out more about the Independent Review Function on the Ministry of Transport website(external link)

 

1 CAA has a set of Values which guide the way it acts:

  • Me mahi tahi – Collaboration – We work together to achieve and succeed
  • Me Manaaki – Respect – We treat all people with consideration
  • Kia tū rangatira ai – Professionalism – We act in a way that brings credit to ourselves and our organisation
  • Me mahi pono – Transparency – We are open and honest communicators
  • Me mahi tika – Integrity – We do the right thing
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