Hobart Airport HBA expansion

[RooFlyer]

Don't set your hopes too high and you won't be disappointed:

$100m expansion plan for Hobart Airport takes flight

This will be pay-walled, so the highlights:

HOBART Airport will today unveil a $100 million expansion plan which will double the size of the current terminal.

The redevelopment will include customs and immigration facilities for handling direct international flights.

Hobart Airport CEO Sarah Renner told the Mercury the announcement of the Terminal Expansion Project followed the airport’s busiest year with 2.6 million passenger passing through Hobart Airport.

The first stage to the plan — to be completed by December 2020 — will expand the departures lounge and facilities, improved airline lounges and improved passenger screening facilities.

A mezzanine level will be constructed to the southern end of the terminal and will house the airline lounges and border agency support facilities.

It will also include the construction of a “swing lounge” capable of providing for international processing facilities.

The question will then be, to recoup the investment, will they set their charges so high as to continue to deter Virgin from opening a lounge at HBA? I say 'probably'. Virgin's gotten away with no lounge up to now, so why should they increase their overheads?

They've said before that there won't be air-bridges, so pax will continue to walk up to 250m across the apron to board via stairs and ramps. They have said before that they 'might consider' covering these.

And of course the kicker for that $100 million:

The final two stages are expected be completed by 2030 and will deliver increased baggage processing facilities and further retail and food and beverage offerings.

 

[BCons]

There's more info here (not News paywalled..) on the Hobart Airport website : TXP | Hobart Airport Development .

Given we hv not long finished a long and sometimes torturous terminal redevel, looks like another dose of inconvenience coming up. It would actually be worth if there's a VA lounge coming...

 

[BCons]

Nope. Still nothing specifically for VA in the lounge dept.. This from the exec summary :

Hobart International Airport is the ninth busiest Airport in Australia and was the third-fastest growing airport in 2016-2017. The proposed terminal expansion is set to accommodate domestic passenger growth which is forecast to increase by more than 30% by 2030 along with international services that will bring an additional 91,000 passengers by FY2021, growing to 574,000 by FY2030. Combined, this is a 50% increase in the annual number of passengers passing through the airport by 2030, and therefore accommodating these additional passengers and air services is vital for Hobart International Airport.

The Hobart International Airport 2015 Master Plan (2015 Master Plan) sets out the vision for growth and delivery of strategic infrastructure to allow the airport to meet demand and better connect Tasmania to the rest of Australia and the world to the year 2035. It identifies a number of landside, terminal and airside infrastructure improvements that are required to accommodate forecast passenger growth at Hobart International Airport over the 20-year timeframe. Key facilities for international passenger and freight services at Hobart International Airport have included the $40 million runway extension and enabling works, completed in 2018, to extend the runway to 2,727m and enable larger aircraft to travel to and from Asia, the Pacific and Antarctica directly and the recently completed freight precinct with full international exporting capabilities. The Terminal Expansion Project will offer an improved experience for airport visitors and cater for projected domestic passenger growth and the additional international services since the runway extension.

The Project will upgrade the airport in two stages to accommodate domestic growth and Code E international operations. By the end of 2026 this will include:
• Expanded domestic departures footprint to facilitate passenger growth;
• An international processing facility for Code C and Code E aircraft operations;
• Expanded retail and food & beverage (concessionaire) offers;
• Expanded baggage handling services;
• Capacity to meet new enhanced security requirements for passengers and baggage; and
• A new lounge for Qantas and a lounge for passengers of other airlines.

The Terminal Expansion Project aims to enhance passenger experience by making arrivals and departures more efficient and seamless. The redevelopment of the terminal building provides the opportunity to express some of Tasmania’s unique culture and create an atmosphere that enhances the first and last impression of Tasmania as visitors embark on their journey. The terminal expansion has been designed to cohesively transition into the existing structure, reflecting a strong sense of place and essence of Tasmania. As a major development within the terms of the Airports Act 1996, a Major Development Plan (MDP) must be submitted to the Commonwealth Infrastructure and Transport Minister.

 

[RooFlyer]

Given we hv not long finished a long and sometimes torturous terminal redevel,

Ah yes, that was the (old) Master Plan that became out of date about half way through, so they gave it up and went back to the drawing board. Then a quickie 'refresh' last year involving cramming a few more seats in ( wooden benches FFS) and, of course, another food & bev outlet.

Half owner MacBank related entity have their equity in the market. Good riddance.

 

[RooFlyer]

the first and last impression of Tasmania as visitors embark on their journey.

Which, in winter, can involve a walk of up to 250m in the open , maybe wind and rain, to reach your plane or the terminal building. This is not going to change.

At least they are going to go to 'power out' for aircraft, so they will be able to squeeze 6 aircraft onto the existing apron, so hopefully they won't continue the current situation of not being able to accommodate all the planes on the apron if one is delayed in departure.

 

[Boof1]

Which, in winter, can involve a walk of up to 250m in the open , maybe wind and rain, to reach your plane or the terminal building. This is not going to change.

At least they are going to go to 'power out' for aircraft, so they will be able to squeeze 6 aircraft onto the existing apron, so hopefully they won't continue the current situation of not being able to accommodate all the planes on the apron if one is delayed in departure.

I think you mean power in and push out. That will/should bring the aircraft closer to the terminal building at least, meaning a potentially covered walkway could span the length of the apron and the uncovered walk out would be not too bad. They will have 7 bays as a result of this work.

What I can’t work out is why those covered walkway tube things that Kendall had for the CRJ’s back in 2000 aren’t used again (new ones I mean) they were great and you could walk all the way to the air stairs under cover. They had them in HBA and in MEL at what is now the Rex part of T3.

 

[docjames]

The push out creating 7 bays instead of 5 is a no-brainer. It does of course add cost (need for tugs etc) however seems an obvious way to maximise gate space during peak periods. With the flights parking nose-in (rather than oblique) it should make the (uncovered) walk out a bit shorter if they design it for the aircraft to get far enough nose-in.

 

[RooFlyer]

I think you mean power in and push out

Oops yes, thanks.

 

[Isochronous]

The lack of aerobridges at HBA is a joke. You'd think they'd invest in those to make the place less third world, especially with how popular Tasmania has become with Chinese tourists. With a bit of investment some random Chinese airline could probably be enticed to fly there.

 

[BCons]

The lack of aerobridges at HBA is a joke. You'd think they'd invest in those to make the place less third world, especially with how popular Tasmania has become with Chinese tourists. With a bit of investment some random Chinese airline could probably be enticed to fly there.

...but if there were aerobridges we'd lose that most Hobart of joys : getting a breath of fresh air at the top of the steps on arrival back home !

 

[RooFlyer]

With a bit of investment some random Chinese airline could probably be enticed to fly there

Indeed that's who they are heavily targeting, more the runway had been lengthened. I expect they'll get some flights before too long.

Even before this announced expansion, they had firmly ruled out aerobridges. I guess if they built them, it would increase their charges to those airlines who used them, in turn raising the ticket prices.

 

[Boof1]

The lack of aerobridges at HBA is a joke. You'd think they'd invest in those to make the place less third world, especially with how popular Tasmania has become with Chinese tourists. With a bit of investment some random Chinese airline could probably be enticed to fly there.

A joke and less third world?? What like OOL, or LTN, LST (yes, Luton and Launceston), or MEL’s T4, ZQN, LGB, and I can go on...

HBA doesn’t need aerobridges. They won’t change the desirability of the destination for international airlines to serve the location. Sure airlines consider amenity, but there is other factors far more important than how people get on and off the aircraft.

For some reason it is widely believed that every single night it is blowing a gale, freezing cold and bucketing with rain. It isn’t and while some days at HBA are unpleasant, it’s also unpleasant walking to a car, bus, train or taxi in any other airport that has aerobridges in bad weather.

The airport operator is trying to address the current shortfalls and hopefully they get it right. The terminal and long walks from the aircraft aren’t great but there is a lot to fix before putting in Aerobridges.

 

[RooFlyer]

HBA doesn’t need aerobridges.

As a local, I'd strongly disagree. Aerobridges are simply an expected amenity of any modern airport of the size of HBA. Who doesn't inwardly groan and eye-roll when they land and find that they are about to go down stairs onto the tarmac, at any airport?

HBA is not a dedicated LCC terminal like Melbourne T4 (and how do people like that one!). Townsville provided them decades ago, by the simple method of leaving the ground floor terminal much as it was, but having escalators up to (enclosed) corridors leading out to the aerobridges. Didn't need a whole terminal re-build.

I agree that the weather isn't as bad as people make out, but it is cold in winter, can be windy and rainy and the walks in the open can be up to 250m

Another point is, the way HBA loads pax who cannot do the stairs is pathetic, and would think embarrassing for those pax.

The airport operator is trying to address the current shortfalls and hopefully they get it right.

Yeah, hopefully, but I have no confidence in that. Their own ast 'Master Plan' and 're-build' lasted about half way through until it was shown to be hopelessly inadequate and they had to stop and re-think. Then we got the wooden benches throughout the departure lounge as a stop-gap. The shortfalls are entirely of their own making; they have starved the airport of capital for years, knowing they have a monopoly asset. Passenger amenity simply is at the bottom of their priorities - revenue-generating ones, like the food & bev, souvenir shops and hire cars have seen the spend.

Last year, they found they didn't even have enough bloody stair units to service the aircraft on the apron!! In spite of the fact that the stairs are manufactured in Tasmania. Hopeless.

 

[snooze]

Its good to finally see something happen at HBA.
However, they should look at DRW airport. Very comfortable. 5 air bridges. Check in downstairs. Security downstairs before getting up the escalator to the depature hall. A few food options, nice views and large amounts of seats. If HBA has DRW airport, i would be very happy.

 

[RooFlyer]

Its good to finally see something happen at HBA.
However, they should look at DRW airport. Very comfortable. 5 air bridges. Check in downstairs. Security downstairs before getting up the escalator to the depature hall. A few food options, nice views and large amounts of seats. If HBA has DRW airport, i would be very happy.

Exactly - and that was built in the late 1980s IIRC !

 

[ramboflyer]

Aerobridges are simply an expected amenity of any modern airport of the size of HBA. Who doesn't inwardly groan and eye-roll when they land and find that they are about to go down stairs onto the tarmac, at any airport?

Agreed. The COO of the Hobart Airport has an opinion piece in today's Mercury. He cites several reasons for not planning on airbridges:
- The airlines dont like airbridges because of their tight turnaround times. Using stairs is quicker.
- the cost of airfares would rise
- the cost of the infrastructure would be much higher and airbridges are expensive to build and maintain.

As for a VA lounge, (if it ever happened), if its anything like the report on the new lounge at Wellington its probably best to give it a miss.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks .

Lets look at those reasons the CEO gave:

* The airlines don't like airbridges because of their tight turnaround times. Using stairs is quicker.
Funny then how airbridges seem to pop up all over the place! And at HBA use of stairs is NOT quicker. Almost every flight I catch has at least one wheelchair passenger. As we know, when there is a wheelchair passenger, at boarding, they get taken out to the apron first - yes, the up to 200m across the apron to where the plane is. Then they get transferred onto a rickety elevator type thing - glorified forklift - then at the top helped the 3-4 m to the plane door, for entry to the aircraft; wholly undignified. Rinse, repeat i there are more than 1 wheelchair pax. Then, and only then, the rest of the pax start their walk across the apron. But even with the rest of the pax, how could direct walk onto a plane possibly be slower than a walk across the tarmac, then a stairs climb, with hand luggage, kids etc in tow ...

People can judge the quality of the people running HBA ...

* the cost of airfares would rise
Almost certainly true, especially with HBA wanting their private-equity type of return on capital.

* the cost of the infrastructure would be much higher and airbridges are expensive to build and maintain.
Again, I don't doubt it. Just like virtually every other airport of HBA's size (and growth potential!).

 

[drron]

At MCY QF now have a cattle ramp for the 717 meaning wheelchair pax are now wheeled onto the aircraft which speeds things up considerably.
As well as being much easier for me.

 

[pauly7]

At MCY QF now have a cattle ramp for the 717 meaning wheelchair pax are now wheeled onto the aircraft which speeds things up considerably.
As well as being much easier for me.

GC have ramps for QF flights.

LST have ramps for QFlink flights.

 

[drron]

Though LST are for the Crash 8's.Also in DPO and WYA.The ones for the 717 are relatively recent for MCY.