Hobart Airport targeting 'first time' Asia routes and European connectivity with widebody capability
Hobart Airport is undergoing a USD85 million runway upgrade, which is designed to enable widebody international services. Hobart is the only Australian capital city airport without a current international route.
Statements from the airport's CEO Norris Carter and existing route trends for Australian capital cities suggest that destinations in Asia are the most likely when the runway project is completed in May-2025.
Hobart Airport has broken ground on an AUD130 million runway upgrade project
In Jul-2024, Hobart Airport broke ground on an AUD130 million (USD85.8 million) runway upgrade project, which is designed to make airfield infrastructure capable of handling Code E aircraft such as Boeing 787s and A350s.
The Australian Government stated the project will enable the airport to handle "long distance freight and widebody international flights", specifically "first time" direct connections to Asia, while increasing Hobart's capability as "Australia's Antarctic gateway".
Airport CEO Norris Carter added that the project will also pave the way for "one stop flights to Europe" when construction is completed in May-2025.
Hobart Airport is only Australian state or territory capital city airport without international services
According to CAPA - Centre for Aviation data and OAG schedules for the week commencing 05-Aug-2024, Hobart Airport is the only Australian state or territory capital city airport without international services - not accounting for an Apr-2024 Air New Zealand announcement confirming the carrier's plans to resume Auckland-Hobart service in Oct-2024.
The larger capitals host widebody services, while Canberra Airport's two international connections (Bali with Batik Air (Indonesia) and Nadi with Fiji Airways) and Darwin International Airport's three international connections (Bali, Dili and Singapore) are all served with narrowbody equipment.
In May-2024, Mr Carter labelled the Hobart Airport runway project not only "one of the most significant" in the airport's 60 year history, but one enabling direct connectivity "to Asia and beyond".
In theory, the range of the 787-8 would expand the network reach from Hobart as far as destinations in South America, including Argentina and Chile, and southern Africa. The A350-900 could hypothetically enable direct connections to the west coast of the US and Canada.
Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia most likely new markets for expansion
However, if Hobart is to follow the lead of Australian capital city airports with widebody international services, then destinations in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia will most likely be where routes develop.
For Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, the top regions by departing seats for the week of 05-Aug-2024 are the Southwest Pacific (963,107 seats), Southeast Asia (182,920) and Northeast Asia (82,603).
Airport to Region departing seat comparison, week commencing 05-Aug-2024
