Tasmanian airport bosses welcome fund to help boost domestic flights, land Asian carrier deal

Hobart Airport’s boss hopes to land direct international flights from Asia after a $5m injection to boost passenger numbers at both ends of the state. Here’s how.

Amy Hills, Norris Carter, Premier Jeremy Rockliff, Sarah Clark, and Shane O'Hare at the announcement of Aviation Attraction Fund.at Hobart Airport. Picture: Caroline Tan

The boss of Hobart Airport says a new $5 million government aviation assistance package will boost passenger numbers at both ends of the state, and help Tasmania land direct international flights from Asia.

Welcoming the announcement by Premier and Minister for Tourism, Jeremy Rockliff, on Monday, chief executive Norris Carter said the Aviation Attraction Fund would provide Tasmania with “a competitive edge” to secure new and extra domestic and international flights into both Hobart and Launceston airports.

“Airports compete really hard with each other to attract airlines to fly to their destinations, and this fund will help attract more capacity into Tasmania, particularly for us at Hobart airport, we are completing our $130 million airfield upgrade to allow direct international flights,” Mr Carter said.

“So this funding will help us attract an airline flying direct from Asian hubs like Singapore or Hong Kong.

“We’re in discussions with potential airlines, and those talks are going well, but it’s really hard to pin them down on exactly how long they’ll take [to make a decision].

“But the upgrade is progressing well – we opened a new taxiway just before Christmas, and finished work on the northern end of the runway.

“So we’re about halfway through the project, and it’s running on time.”

Shane O'Hare chief executive Officer of Launceston Airport, at the announcement of Aviation Attraction Fund at Hobart Airport. Picture: Caroline Tan

Amid a busy summer period in which queues at baggage carousels have reportedly been growing, Mr Carter said he was determined to reduce the amount of time inbound passengers spent in the arrivals hall.

“During Christmas time there’s a huge number of bags to handle, but we’re working closely with the airlines on how to streamline the processes as much as we can so that people can get on their way.”

Launceston Airport chief executive, Shane O’Hare, echoed his southern counterpart’s support for the aviation fund, saying the cash boost would allow the Western Junction facility to attract more vital connections for its passengers.

Mr O’Hare said that while Tasmania’s two largest airports were commercial competitors, there was a strong element of collaboration to help boost tourism in the state.

“We compete with each other and the dozens of other airports around the country, but we also have a common interest in growing Tasmania’s economy,” Mr O’Hare said.

“We collaborate very closely on operational matters and safety matters, to make sure that Tasmanian travellers and visitors to the state are always going to have a good, safe experience.”

Premier Rockliff said the Aviation Attraction Fund would help to drive visitation to the state, boosting the local economy, and support jobs.

“And for Tasmanians, it will mean more choices when they travel interstate or overseas, and support for our trade and export markets.”

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive, Amy Hills, said with the state being an island, successful engagement with access partners played a crucial role in supporting the visitor economy.

“As destinations across Australia and across the globe compete for the visitor dollar, Tasmania must keep pace and remain as competitive as possible. Part of that is making it as easy and affordable as possible to get onto and off the island,” Ms Hills said.

Originally published as Tasmanian airport bosses welcome fund to help boost domestic flights, land Asian carrier deal