Newly released papers reveal Cabinet Minister Gerry Brownlee and his staff knowingly broke aviation security rules at an incident at Christchurch Airport in July of 2014.

Following an intervention by the Office of the Ombudsmen previously withheld parts of a Civil Aviation Authority report into the matter are now being made public.

They show neither Mr Brownlee or his two staffers held boarding passes when they breached airport security to catch their flight and they admitted to investigators they knew they were in a secure area and should have gone through security screening.

The report also backs an airport employee's version of events, that permission wasn't given to Mr Brownlee and his staff to proceed -  Mr Brownlee and his staffer's view was that they had received it.

The findings  say  Mr Brownlee's presence and conduct had the effect of exerting a  degree of undue influence, whether he intended it or not.

Meanwhile previously withheld sections of the investigation report reveal Mr Brownlee could have been charged under  both the Civil Aviation Act and the Crimes Act for his actions, and if convicted could have  faced a jail term or a fine of up to $5000.

While the CAA held the view  there was a need to deter and denounce Mr Brownlee's actions, it decided his actions and those of his staffers did not warrant a summary prosecution.