Tourism industry says delays at Hobart Airport need urgent attention
REJIGGED designs for the Hobart Airport’s departure area redevelopment are expected to be finalised within the next two months.
Tasmania
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WORK in progress at the Hobart International Airport departure area is set to be completed before the 2018-19 peak tourism season, but long-term plans to cater for increased passenger numbers may not be done until 2025.
The airport’s new departure area at the southern end of the terminal was to have been completed last year as part of the original 2015 master plan, which said that by 2020 some 2.7 million passengers a year were expected through the airport. This was expected to jump to 3.3 million by 2025 and 4.6 million a year by 2035.
Those figures were based on 2014 projections and new forecasts show the airport will need to cater for 3 million passengers by 2022 due to the state’s tourism boom.
Immediate works in the departure area would be completed next summer, airport chief executive Sarah Renner said.
This included an extension of the food and beverage area; providing larger aircraft with space to park; and working with Qantas on extending its lounge.
Ms Renner said the move was part of a two-phase approach for the multimillion-dollar terminal redevelopment — immediate and long-term.
In the longer term — between 2020-25 — the departure area would be extended to cater for the latest 2022 passenger numbers projections, she said.
An architect was working on departure area plans, which would be revealed within two months. These included aircraft apron and concept designs, she said.
Ms Renner said between 2020-2025 the current 12,000 square metre terminal would expand to 20,000 square metres to cater for more passengers.
However, since the original master plan stipulated an expansion to 15,000 square metres, the original $25 million costing for the development needed to be re-evaluated and Ms Renner said costings for both phases were being generated.
It was still unclear when the long-term works would go out to tender or exactly when they would begin.
“We’ve exceeded the master plan forecast and we found the future terminal size needs to be significantly bigger than that reflected in the master plan,” Ms Renner said.
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“While we will expand incrementally over the next peak period ... our focus is on that longer-term terminal footprint.”
Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief Luke Martin said the visitor experience in regard to passenger spaces in departure and luggage collection areas needed to be addressed by summer.
A fresh vision for expanding the airport over the next 10-15 years may be needed, he said.
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