Hobart airport $1.1bn masterplan 2009-2029

[Jarden S]

Hobart Airport 2009 -2029

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The Master Plan for Hobart Airport for the period 2009 -2029 has just been released for comment. Article covering the release from The Mercury Newspaper.

DIRECT flights to New Zealand and Asia are on the radar for Hobart Airport.

Aerobridges are also planned to end the outdoor walks to and from the aircraft and there will be more shops.

Hobart International Airport Pty Ltd has released its draft master plan to 2029, which includes a possible $1.1 billion terminal upgrade.

With a forecast growth in passenger numbers of about 4 per cent annually, the airport predicts movements will increase from 1.82 million in 2008 to 4.25 million by 2029.

That would be an increase from the current 5500 daily passenger movements on 40 flights to 12,500 passengers per day on 88 flights.

Despite the recent $26 million terminal upgrade, the 20-year vision outlines need for further expansion, including the introduction of a passenger apron and aerobridges.

The plan highlights the issues that introducing aerobridges could pose given that the current terminal is only on ground level.

"In terms of engineering and design, aerobridges typically connect to the first floor of a terminal building, posing a potential level change issue for the airport if introduced in the future," the draft says.

The draft also gives "low, medium and high scenarios" for future growth in retail space in the terminal and on surrounding airport land.

"Under the low scenario 294,500sq m of commercial floor space is estimated to be developed over the 2009-29 period," it says.

"This floor space, along with terminal-based activity, is expected to grow employment at the airport from 250 currently to 2120, lifting the direct contribution in value added to the economy from its current level of $25 million to $175 million.

"The respective figures for the high scenario at 2029 are 373,000sq m of development, 3130 jobs and a direct contribution to the economy of $232 million."

Despite the last flight to New Zealand taking off in 1998, ending a 17-year relationship between Air New Zealand and Hobart, the draft plan predicts overseas flights will return as soon as 2012.

"It is anticipated that international regular passenger flights could commence between Hobart and New Zealand and Hobart and Singapore or Kuala Lumpur by 2012."

International traffic could eventually account for 8 per cent of all airport traffic.

The Preliminary Draft Master Plan is available for comment until October 16.

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[Jarden S]

DRAFT can be viewed here: http://www.hobartairpt.com.au/images...ter%20Plan.pdf

[Ken B]

Corrected Link: http://www.hobartairpt.com.au/images...ter%20Plan.pdf 4.85MB in size

[Jarden S]

Back in the 1980's there was a regular Air NZ 737 CHC-HBA on saturday competing with them was TAA 727 later on Air NZ added a second weekly flight. Now all Passengers will usually fly via MEL to get to NZ from TAS. Today in 2009 there is still no direct flights. Is the market viable now that is the question? If it was viable in the 80's the markets have grown since then would it be viable for direct flights again? Virgin's E-jet would be suitable for this market as a A320 would be to big a plane to fill. A E190 with 104 seats would be easier to fill than a A320 at 180 seats. Two flights a week would be an ideal start eg 1 HBA-AKL and 1 HBA-CHC.

[Jarden S]

Airport aspires to NZ service --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From today's Mercury, http://www.themercury.com.au/article...ania-news.html


Quote:
HOBART Airport is continuing to work towards the possible re-establishment of a regular service to New Zealand.

The airport has been talking with its counterparts in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland.

In 1998 Air New Zealand ended a Hobart-Christchurch service that had operated for 17 years.

In its final years the service ran weekly from October until the end of summer.

The only international direct flights from Hobart Airport now are Australia's Antarctic flights.

But Hobart Airport CEO Brett Reiss said the airport had aspirations to international regular services in future.

Mr Reiss said if such a service eventuated it would probably be to Auckland.

"We are a capital-city airport but effectively serving a regional population," he said.

Until taking up his current position Mr Reiss was commercial services and airport planning general manager at Christchurch International Airport.

He said Christchurch had about 360,000 people and the Hobart region about 200,000.

"The two population centres aren't quite big enough to establish a daily service, certainly not," he said.

"Somewhere like Auckland with 1.5 million people allows you that critical mass you need, you get far more demand."

Mr Reiss said most talk about a New Zealand service had been with the airports.

"Auckland remains a target and we've had some reasonable discussions with the airport and some initial discussions with an airline," he said.

Hobart Airport and border agencies have discussed the potential for an overseas service starting as early as 2010.

Daily HBA-AKL sounds good! I wonder which airline is in discussions?

[Ryan K]

Originally Posted by Jarden S

Airport aspires to NZ service --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Daily HBA-AKL sounds good! I wonder which airline is in discussions?

If Jetstar can't make a daily service to BNE work, I fail to see how a daily service to AKL could work? Having said that, I think AKL would make more sense than CHC. Good luck to whoever (if anyone) tries this route.

[Kain C]

If Jetstar can't make a daily service to BNE work, I fail to see how a daily service to AKL could work? Having said that, I think AKL would make more sense than CHC. Good luck to whoever (if anyone) tries this route.

Just like "if Jetstar can't make a daily service to BNE work, I fail to see how a daily service to CBR could work?" Despite the fact that the numbers have been so good on HBA-CBR that services are occasionally upgraded to E190s. The Jetstar HBA-BNE only failed when they cut it from daily to 3 per week (Tue,Thu,Sat) and ran the service at midnight. A morning daily BNE-HBA flight would be profitable, as indeed the DJ service is!

[Jarden S]

The same could be said about the middle of the night Qantas ADL-AKL service which was also not profitable so it got axed. They not realise the awful time people have to get to the airport to take the direct flight most people will end a prefering a daytime connecting flight.