Airways New Zealand is pushing for the Civil Aviation Authority to lower the age New Zealanders can get an air traffic control licence amid worries our talent's being poached overseas. 

The air traffic control provider's sounded the alarm during an address before a Parliamentary Select Committee.  

CEO James Young says there's a global shortage of controllers, and in other areas like controller training.  

Aviation Industry Association CEO Simon Wallace told Ryan Bridge a licence can currently only be obtained at 21 or older. 

He says this is something Airways has brought up, and the regulator should be looking at this. 

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