The New Zealand

Civil Air Ensign A civil air ensign is a flag (or a variation thereof) which represents civil aviation in a country or organization. Typically, it is flown from buildings connected with the administration of civil aviation and it may also be flown by airlines of t ...

is the

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

that represents

civil aviation Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The ensign consists of a dark blue

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

edged with white on a light blue field. A

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

is placed in the first quarter and the

Southern Cross Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for c ...

, as seen from

, are shown in red in the lower half of the fly. The ensign is based on the

British Civil Air Ensign The British Civil Air Ensign is the flag that may be flown at civil aviation establishments in the United Kingdom and be displayed on UK-registered civil aircraft. It should be flown at civilian air facilities as the national flag in place of t ...

and the national flag of New Zealand.

Institution

The original design for the ensign was submitted to

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

by the Governor-General of New Zealand,

Lord Galway Viscount Galway is a title that has been created once in the Peerage of England and thrice in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1628 in favour of Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. He was made Earl ...

. On 16 November 1938, by an exercise of the

Royal prerogative The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy, as belonging to the sovereign and which have become widely vested in th ...

, the New Zealand Civil Air Ensign was instituted. Thereafter it was "recognised as the proper national colours to be flown by British aircraft registered in New Zealand".NEW ZEALAND ENSIGN AND GOVERNMENT FLAGS
/ref>

Use

The ensign may be flown at aerodromes in

, on any New Zealand aircraft and from the principal offices of airlines which own New Zealand aircraft. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand may fly the ensign from its buildings or aircraft.

References

The New Zealand Flag - The New Zealand Civil Air Ensign

Civil Aviation Rules Part 19 (PDF)
Specifications of the flag (Appendix A, page 35) Civil air ensigns Flags of New Zealand Southern Cross flags Flags with crosses Civil aviation in New Zealand Light blue ensigns {{flag-stub