Another Hobart Airport expansion announcement

[RooFlyer]

Well, to be fair, it's 4 years since the last announcement. but in hardcopy of the Hobart Mercury (AKA The Mockery) today finds a front page splash that Hobart Airport's 'redevelopment' will begin later this year ... with the car parks. and finished by late 2026. Strangely, the story is not on-line at the Mercury app, so you'll have to put up with some re-typing from me

* Travellers at the airport to go from 2.8mill in 2020 (middle of Covid!!) to 5.5 mill in 2042
* $60mill Fed money secured for runway strengthening project, allowing larger/heavier aircraft
* Terminal footprint doubled from 12,000 sq m to 23,000 sq m

... and that's about the sum total of what's in the article . So basically a waste of newsprint.

The current Master Plan is here : https://hobartairport.com.au/wp-con...irport-Master-Plan-2022_For-Print_reduced.pdf

There's the terminal expansion, and addition of 6 power-in, tug push out apron parking bays. Still no airbridges (as the CEO has repeatedly re-affirmed). No runway-length taxi-way. The only mention of 'lounge' in the document is the 'departure lounge' and its 2018 refurbishment, which involved putting wooden benches in to replace upholstered seating.

This is a "preliminary draft" (so basically meaningless).

So, nothing to see here ... move along ...

 

[RooFlyer]

Ah. I think I just found the reason for the non-story in The Mockery. Its appeared on-line, under the heading (series) The Future. And at the bottom of the page we find:

 

[Daver6]

With all the announcements for this airport it should be bigger than LHR by now...

 

[Major]

Ah. I think I just found the reason for the non-story in The Mockery. Its appeared on-line, under the heading (series) The Future. And at the bottom of the page we find:

View attachment 320470

You're welcome

 

[Eastwick20]

I actually quite enjoy arriving in Hobart and using the stairs (yes I know the weather can be horrible) but in terms of the "experience" they have a point about leaving the aircraft and being able to take your first breath of fresh Tasmanian air and feel like you have arrived somewhere different to the big city you've come from.

It always makes me happy to be back visiting the Apple Isle as I walk down the stairs.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hobart Airport's 'redevelopment' will begin later this year ... with the car parks.

Well, they are true to their word.

They have moved their 'saver' car park even further from the terminal and now there is no cover for your long trudge to the terminal.

Still proudly Australia's worst airport.

 

[RooFlyer]

The new owners of Hobart Airport have said a number of times that they will not be providing airbridges. Boarding for all planes at HBA is via a walk (sometimes a long walk!!) across the apron, then up either zig-zag ramps, or stairs to the aircraft doors. The ramps are only wide enough for 1 pax at a time.

Experience the other day demonstrates what will be one of the ongoing consequences of this.

Last Friday, there were two wheelchair pax to board first (and note the following is in no way a criticism of the pax or their fellow travellers). A bit before scheduled boarding, the first, in their own motorised chair, went out with a companion, also travelling and an airline person. Upon reaching the bottom of the ramp, they transferred over to an airport manual chair. This took a few minutes. Then, the pax's companion proceeded to make the electric chair suitable for travelling in the hold, undoing this and that, to make it more compact. This took almost 10 minutes. The pax then was wheeled on board and the motorised chair taken to the hold.

Then, the second wheelchair pax, already in an airport chair, was taken out and up the ramp, but had to wait outside the door as the first chair had yet to come out.

General boarding began 20 minutes late, after the second chair had left the aircraft and apron and departure was the same.

As I say, no criticism of the wheelchair-bound pax. I've had to take my sister on board in her chair a couple of times and its bloody awkward, to say the least and I know she hates the 'exposure'. But airline schedules will continue to be impacted by the 'one chair at a time' necessity of the narrow access ramps. We've all seen how airbridges can cope with two-way traffic up to the door and delays are minimal.

Schiphol, who now control HBA, are just too tight-coughd to spend the capital and opex to give us a decent airport. Monopoly asset, and all that.

 

[Ahall]

But how fast is it to get your baggage and get out of the airport ! you want the services , you get the people the anxiety , delays ! Hobart and Launceston are a dream

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @Ahall . It used to be better, and faster, when they didn't have any baggage conveyors, and you simply walked up to and around the trailer that brought the bags from the aircraft, and helped yourself!

 

[RooFlyer]

it’s not worth starting a new thread, but interesting that Hobart airport has a survey out in the terminal for visitor experiences.

Well, actually, not really about visitor experiences, but how the airport can go about maximising the amount of money it takes off the passengers who move through it. All about shopping, retail, parking etc. No questions at all about how airport can make the visitor experience better, at least without opening your wallet.

For example, check out these two examples. They’re actually asking if you’re willing to pay just to have comfortable seating. Just a reminder that currently at Hobart airport, nearly all the seating is on wooden slat seats.

 

[Doctore1003]

Qantas confirming today that a new Qantas Club will be built as part of the airport expansion, with double the current space. But it won't open until 2027.

 

[RooFlyer]

Qantas confirming today that a new Qantas Club will be built as part of the airport expansion, with double the current space. But it won't open until 2027.

That's good, but it needs at least triple the space, just to cope with current volumes. The current is seating crammed close together and is frequently 100% filled. Just spacing the seating to what occurs in the other QPs would want double the space, let alone any increase in numbers able to be admitted.

 

[Mattg]

Qantas confirming today that a new Qantas Club will be built as part of the airport expansion, with double the current space. But it won't open until 2027.

They already announced that they would build a new Qantas Club in Hobart last year. Although the previous announcement stated there would be around a 50% capacity increase and didn't provide a proposed opening date (just that it would be in line with the overall terminal redevelopment).

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-announces-100-million-upgrade-to-lounge-network-including-new-first-lounge-in-london/