The Minister can make rules about airspace for different reasons. These reasons include making sure the civil aviation system is safe and secure, protecting national security, or for other public interests. The rules can classify, designate, or set special uses for airspace. They can also prohibit or restrict the use of airspace and things that affect the space where aircraft fly. This includes airspace used by New Zealand Defence Force aircraft or aircraft from other countries' militaries visiting New Zealand.

When the Minister makes these rules, they are called ordinary rules. These rules are a type of law called secondary legislation. This means they must follow certain rules about how they are published, which you can find in Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.