Bumper schedule of sailings and flights launched for travel into Northern Tasmania
Nearly a dozen new sailings plus a new Qantas service into Burnie have been launched to help meet demand for travel into the state’s north. LATEST SERVICES >>
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TT-Line has put on 11 extra day sailings to meet demand now Tasmania’s borders are open to all states while a new Qantas service into Burnie will help carry the unprecented load into the State’s north by air.
Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff he understood some Tasmanians were anxious about the borders opening.
“We had a major outbreak in the North West, in my neck of the woods last year, for example.
I expect there’s some anxiousness in this region, that’s understandable, that is natural,” he said.
The Spirit of Tasmania demand is coming from Tasmanians wanting to sail home for Christmas and mainland family and friends keen to join loved ones here for the festive season.
At Burnie Airport a new Qantas service will land for the first time on Friday, easing demand as arrivals outstrip departures.
And Devonport Airport is ramping back post pandemic.
Before this week, Devonport Airport was seeing two flights in and out per week. However, there were five flights on Wednesday with four flights in and out to Devonport scheduled for the rest of the working week and three on Saturday.
Due to Covid-19 the passenger capacity on board each flight has reduced from 74 to 64.
TT-Line said day one of Tasmania’s open border had gone smoothly and bookings were solid right through to January.
At Launceston Aiport, 150 passengers on board three flights which arrived Wednesday morning were processed within 45 minutes.
Two were caught breaching the travel rules.
The Spirit of Tasmania’s first double sailing in scheduled for Wednesday leaving Melbourne and Devonport at 8.30am and 9.10pm respectively.
An additional 17 day sailings have been scheduled for January next year.
“The interstate-based bookings are generally originating from Spirit of Tasmania’s traditional markets of Victoria, NSW and Queensland,” a TT-Line spokesman said.
At Burnie airport, regional airline Rex has increased its flights from four a week to four a day until Christmas.
After Christmas that will drop back to three flights a day.
Qantas will commence flying its new Melbourne to Burnie route on Friday with the first flight arriving at 4:35pm.
The airline will operate up to six return services per week until late January with its Q300 aircraft.
“Have been working with Biosecurity Tas to facilitate passenger processing,” airport manager Michael Wells said.
“We expect this to be a closer to normal Christmas period with more passengers arriving than departing.”
Hobart Airport bracing for busiest day on record
Hobart Airport is bracing itself for its “busiest day ever” as Tasmania’s borders fling open and families tearfully reunite on the tarmac.
The airport’s chief executive Norris Carter said they were expecting 37 inbound flights on Wednesday, with about 5000 incoming and 2000 outgoing passengers.
It’s not as many visitors as previous years, however Mr Carter said visitors could expect to see delays and long queues while arrivals are screened by biosecurity staff.
“I’d ask people to come with a sense of humour and patience,” Mr Carter said.
“This will be the busiest day the airport’s ever had.”
The airport will have a separate marquee to screen travellers arriving from high-risk Covid areas.
Upon arrival, visitors will need to confirm they have the proper Covid-related paperwork and register their details at one of the iPad stations.
Mr Carter said it was all hands on deck at the airport, with extra biosecurity screeners, cleaners, security guards, and baggage handlers to handle the sudden influx of visitors.
He said he’d been looking forward to this day for months, since the airport had felt eerily quiet during the state lockdown.
“Airports look a bit sad when they’re empty. It’ll be good to see it looking full again,” Mr Carter said.
“The airport’s about connecting communities, getting people back together, hugging family members - that’s what it’s really all about.”
Mr Carter said the airport was poised to become even busier over the next couple of months due to the fifth Ashes Test, with tickets being booked well in advance.
In January they are expecting a peak of 50 flights per day, with yet more flights booked for February.
Hobart Airport chief operating officer Matt Cocker said he was looking forward to reuniting with his son who has been stuck in Canberra during the pandemic.
“Just like every other Tasmanian I’m looking forward to my family coming back. It will be the first time I’ll have seen my son in 12 months,” Mr Cocker said.
“This is the first day of a very significant period. This is great news - our summer period is back, which is great not only for the airport but for the whole state.”
Starting from Wednesday, Jetstar will be resuming 200 weekly return services across six Tasmanian routes from Melbourne and Sydney.
That includes 42 weekly flights between Melbourne and Hobart, 28 from Sydney to Hobart, 35 between Melbourne and Launceston, and 21 from Sydney and Launceston.
Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans said it was good timing for families reuniting over the Christmas holiday period.
“This will be a special time for many people who have been apart for a long time,” Mr Evans said.
“Tasmania is also a hugely popular destination with holiday travellers and these additional services will provide a great boost to tourism operators and businesses as visitors explore everything it has to offer.”
‘A very special date’: Airport gears up for dozens of new flights
HOBART Airport is bracing for a rush of visitors to surge through its arrivals gate.
On December 15, Tasmania will lower the drawbridge to all mainland jurisdictions.
Travellers over the age of 12 years and 2 months entering the state will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have an approved medical exemption.
Extra biosecurity staff will be deployed at Tasmanian airports to remind people of the requirements.
Hobart Airport is currently averaging about 10 inbound flights a day, but CEO Norris Carter said this would increase significantly come the 15th, with an average of between 40 and 45 flights a day anticipated.
“Hobart Airport is all about connecting communities and the 15th will be a very special date,” he said.
“Behind every flight there are hundreds of stories about friends and family reconnecting, sometimes for the first time in a very long time.
“It’s also really important to our business community because a strong Hobart Airport is key to building Tasmania’s future especially with the boost to visitor numbers and the increase in freight capacity from the 15th.”
Until January 12, subject to public health advice, travellers over the age of 5 arriving in Tasmania from a designated high-risk area or overseas will need to return a negative Covid test.
They will also need to have completed a Tas e-Travel pass, available online from December 12.
TT-Line CEO Bernard Dwyer said that in the hours immediately after Premier Peter Gutwein announced the state’s reopening date in October, the government business processed about $1m worth of bookings for the Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
He said most bookings were coming from the “traditional markets” of Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
“Bookings have remained solid post-December 15 through to the end of January,” Mr Dwyer said.
“To meet demand for Tasmanians wishing to come home and for friends and relatives eager to travel to Tasmania for the Christmas period, we have scheduled an additional 11 day sailings between 15 and 30 December.
“The first of these double sailings will be on 15 December, departing Melbourne and Devonport at 8.30am and 9.10pm respectively.
“An additional 17 day sailings have been scheduled for January 2022, the first on 2 January.”
People travelling on the Spirits will have a QR code scanned and will be screened before boarding the ferry, with additional checks to be undertaken upon their arrival in Tasmania.
Airport retailer buzzing ahead of reopening
AT the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Coal River Farm opened a new store at Hobart Airport.
Twelve months later, co-owner Daniel Leesong is keenly anticipating the reopening of Tasmania’s borders, hoping the popular cheese and chocolate business can capitalise on the influx of additional travellers coming through the gates.
“We’re very excited,” he said.
“(The reopening) gets us potentially back to providing the services and the products that we want to showcase to the rest of Australia and the world.
“It’s obviously a very different environment when there’s one or two flights coming in a day as opposed to 20,000 people going through the airport a day. We’re cautiously optimistic that it’s going to be a good season.”
Hobart taxi drivers are also looking forward to next Wednesday, given that about 35-40 per cent of their fares have traditionally come from airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
Tasmanian Taxi Council secretary Tony Dilger said the pandemic had proven “really difficult” for drivers.
“Initially, when Covid hit two years ago, we were down 60 odd per cent (on fares) from day one,” he said.
“So how do you keep going with that?”
Mr Dilger said greater numbers of people walking out the doors of Hobart Airport would be a welcome sight for taxi drivers.
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