23/07/2026
Congratulations to KiwiRail on this major milestone. KiwiRail has been granted a Part 102 Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority of NZ.
This opens the door to more advanced drone operations, including beyond visual line of sight and night flights, all under a rigorous, Civil Aviation Authority of NZ-approved safety framework. It's a fantastic step forward for keeping your people safer and your network smarter, from infrastructure inspections to emergency response.
Huge credit to the Digital Engineering team and the Drone Centre of Excellence for the dedication and collaboration that made this happen. Proud to support KiwiRail as you kick off this next chapter for drones on the rail network. Well done to the whole team!
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A major milestone for KiwiRail: we have been granted a Part 102 Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority. That means we can expand how we use drones to inspect, monitor, and maintain our national rail network.
We’ll be able to do more advanced operations, including beyond visual line of sight flights and night operations, all under a rigorous, CAA-approved safety framework.
For our people, that means safer access to potentially hazardous or hard-to-reach places. It also means richer, faster data to support smarter planning and better decisions, across infrastructure inspections, engineering surveys, construction monitoring, and emergency responses.
This milestone represents the dedication, commitment and collective effort of KiwiRail’s Digital Engineering team and the Drone Centre of Excellence in establishing a safe, compliant, and nationally recognised drone capability. The Drone Centre of Excellence serves as KiwiRail’s hub for drone expertise, bringing together specialists to share knowledge, collaborate, and standardise drone operations across the business.
Part 102 is the start of the next chapter on what drones can do to support a safer, smarter, and more efficient railway network.
Stronger Connections. Better New Zealand.