Cost recovery for new or restarting international airports

Update – 13 December 2024

Decision on the cost recovery regulations for new or restarting international airports

Cabinet has approved proceeding with cost recovery regulations under the Airports (Cost Recovery for Processing of International Travellers) Act 2014.

Under the proposed regulations, airports that intend to start or re-start international services will be required to pay for the establishment costs for border services for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs).

The costs of processing international travellers will be funded from the existing border processing levies.

MPI and Customs will work with airports that intend to start or restart international services to determine actual and reasonable establishment costs in each specific case.

New regulations are expected to come into force in March 2025.

Find out more

Cost recovery for new or restarting international airports [PDF, 859 KB]

Airports (Cost Recovery for Processing of International Travellers) 2014 Act – NZ Legislation

Consultation background

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has consulted on proposed new regulations under the Airports (Cost Recovery for Processing of International Travellers) 2014 Act (the Airports Act). If an airport chooses to start or re-start international flights, the Airports Act enables the Government to recover costs incurred by MPI and the New Zealand Customs Service. These costs can be recovered from the airport.

It is appropriate to consider cost recovery for starting or restarting international flights, as travellers and airports receive the benefits from these flights. MPI proposes to recover these costs through proposed regulations under the Airports Act, or by using a mix of new regulations and existing cost recovery methods.

If new regulations were made, they would help manage the Crown’s financial risk. They could also provide greater certainty to airports that may be considering offering international services on the potential costs associated with providing international flights.

Cost recovery plays an important role in funding services which the government provides, such as biosecurity and customs processing of travellers on international flights at airports.

Consultation closed at 5pm on 28 August 2024.

Discussion document

Cost recovery for new or restarting international airports [PDF, 859 KB]

Current legislation

Airports (Cost Recovery for Processing of International Travellers) 2014 Act – NZ Legislation

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Cost recovery for new or restarting international airports

Closing date

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