NZ Restarts Pilot Training Aircraft Production as Thai Aviation Agreement Signed

New Zealand is returning to the international pilot training aircraft market, with Waikato-based NZAero restarting production of its CT-4 Airtrainer after a 14-year hiatus. The development has also featured in NZ Herald coverage as the manufacturer looks to capitalise on rising demand for military and civilian aviation training.

The move follows a new Memorandum of Understanding signed during an official visit by His Excellency Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand. At Ardmore Airport on 21 August, Prime Minister Charnvirakul and New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon witnessed the agreement with NZAero and demonstrations of the CT-4 Airtrainer, 750XL and E-350 Expedition.

NZAero says the agreement could represent tens of millions of dollars in export revenue over the next three years.

Global Demand Lifts the Pilot Training Aircraft Opportunity

NZAero has begun building five new CT-4 Airtrainers, the first new examples of the type to enter production since 2012. The company is proceeding without confirmed buyers, reflecting what it says is growing international interest in specialist pilot training aircraft from military and civilian organisations.

Boeing’s 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook forecasts that commercial aviation will require 674,000 new pilots over the next 20 years, reinforcing the long-term need for training capacity and qualified aviation personnel.

NZAero CEO Stephen Burrows says expanding pilot demand will increase the need for specialist aircraft used at the beginning of the training pathway, before pilots move to faster and more complex platforms.

“The CT-4 occupies a specialist position at the introductory end of the pilot training pathway, providing trainees with an aircraft on which to develop core flying skills before progressing to significantly faster and more technologically complex aircraft”.

The CT-4 is returning with a modern glass cockpit, flight data capture and safety and performance improvements. NZAero believes those upgrades, combined with limited competition, create an opportunity to win a larger share of the international pilot training aircraft market.

Thailand Relationship Supports Pilot Training Aircraft Exports

Thailand has been an important market for New Zealand-made aircraft for decades. An estimated 3,500 Thai pilots have undergone basic flight training on the CT-4 at least once since it entered service there in 1973, while the Royal Thai Air Force currently operates 25 CT-4 aircraft.

NZAero is in discussions to modernise 19 Royal Thai Air Force CT-4Es. The proposed programme would replace ageing instrumentation with electronic avionics and add safety, reliability and performance enhancements. It remains subject to Thai Government budget approval, but NZAero says approval could lift Thailand from about 10% of its current business to approximately 20% within the next year.

The new MOU is expected to broaden cooperation into maintenance and sustainment expertise, technical support, training, personnel development, knowledge sharing and planning for engines and spare parts. That could strengthen New Zealand’s position as both a manufacturer of pilot training aircraft and a provider of specialist aviation support.

“The agreement is an important endorsement of what our team in New Zealand has been able to deliver and provides a platform for us to deepen our aviation relationship with Thailand,” Burrows says.

AI Could Add a New Layer to Pilot Training Aircraft

NZAero is also investigating how New Zealand technology companies could be involved in the next generation of the CT-4. New aircraft will be able to record position, engine parameters, avionics data and video during a training flight, with material transmitted back to base for instructors to review.

The company says artificial intelligence could analyse those datasets to identify patterns, highlight potential safety risks and improve pilot performance. That could extend the role of pilot training aircraft from providing flight time to becoming part of a wider data-led training system.

“The technology gives instructors access to significantly more information about each training flight. If AI can be used to interrogate that data, there is potential to identify areas where pilot training and safety can be improved.

“There are New Zealand tech companies already working in areas such as synthetic training and data capture, so we are investigating how that local capability could be combined with the aircraft to create a wider New Zealand-developed aviation training solution,” he says.

NZAero says the civilian market is another opportunity, particularly in upset prevention and recovery training. The CT-4’s tricycle undercarriage and side-by-side seating allow an instructor and trainee to operate alongside each other, making it accessible earlier in pilot development than some aerobatic aircraft traditionally used for this work.

New Zealand Pilot Training Aircraft Target Export Growth

The restart of CT-4 production comes as New Zealand and Thailand mark 70 years of diplomatic relations. Around 70 New Zealand-manufactured aircraft have been exported to Thailand during that period, including Air Tourers, CT-4s, Fletcher aircraft and 750XLs.

NZAero is positioning the CT-4 as a modern pilot training aircraft for a market facing long-term growth in pilot numbers, while exploring whether New Zealand-developed AI and data technology can become part of the training proposition.

“With particularly strong aviation growth forecast across our region, we believe there is a real opportunity for New Zealand to capture a larger share of this international market,” he says.

PR Support for New Zealand Aviation and Export Businesses

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