Two aircraft - including an Air New Zealand flight - came within 41 seconds of a head-on collision over Northland

The August 2023 near miss involved the passenger plane with 40 people onboard, and a training flight with two people.

A Transport Accident Investigation Commission report has put it down to failures in the way airspace is managed.

It's found there'd been no review of Whangarei airspace for more than a decade, despite increasing air traffic and a rule it should be reviewed every five years.

It's recommending the Civil Aviation Authority review the Whangarei airspace, and that nationwide, gaps in accountability for such reviews are resolved.