Hobart Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hobart Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Queensland Investment Corporation (35%) Schiphol Group (35%) Tasplan (30%) |
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| Operator | Hobart Airport Pty Ltd | ||||||||||
| Serves | Hobart | ||||||||||
| Location | Cambridge, Tasmania | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1956 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 13 ft / 4 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°50′12″S 147°30′36″E / 42.83667°S 147.51000°E | ||||||||||
| Website | hobartairport.com.au | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 HBA
Location in Tasmania
HBA
Location in Australia
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| Runway | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2016–2017) | |||||||||||
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Source: AIP
passengers from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport Operations from Airservices Australia |
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Hobart Airport (HBA) is a busy airport located in Cambridge, Tasmania. It is about 17 kilometers (11 miles) north-east of Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania. This airport is the biggest one for passengers in Tasmania.
The airport is owned by the Australian Government. It is managed by a group called the Tasmanian Gateway Consortium, who have a 99-year lease. Hobart Airport has one building that handles both flights within Australia and international flights.
Major airlines like Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia fly from here. Most of their flights go to big cities like Melbourne and Sydney. Even though the airport hasn't had regular international passenger flights since 1998, it still has special areas for customs and immigration. This means it can handle planes coming from other countries when needed.
Because Hobart Airport is so far south, it's a special base for flights to Antarctica. A company called Skytraders flies an Airbus A319 plane from here to Antarctica. These flights help the Australian Antarctic Division with their research.
Hobart International Airport first opened in 1956. It became a private company in 1988. The airport is built on a narrow piece of land, so planes usually take off and land over water. The area around the airport isn't very populated. This means planes can fly at night without bothering many people. In 2010-2011, almost 2 million passengers used the airport. This made it the ninth busiest airport in Australia at the time. It was also the busiest Australian airport without regular international flights.
Contents
How Hobart Airport Started
Before Hobart Airport was built, there was a smaller airport nearby called Cambridge Aerodrome. As more people started flying, it became clear that Cambridge Airport was too small. It could only handle light aircraft.
In June 1948, Australia's Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, announced plans for a new, larger airport. It would cost about AU£760,000. People thought this new airport would be a great base for big planes flying to Antarctica.
Hobart Airport officially opened in 1956. It was first called Llanherne Airport, after the land it was built on. In its first year, the airport handled over 120,000 passengers. It also moved over 11,000 tonnes of cargo. This made it the fifth busiest airport in Australia back then.
By 1957, the airport had a small terminal building, two cargo hangars, and a fuel station. In 1964, the government made the runway longer for jet aircraft. The runway was made even longer in 1985 for very large planes like the Boeing 747. The current domestic terminal opened in 1976, and the international terminal opened in 1986.
Becoming a Private Airport
On June 11, 1998, Hobart Airport became a private airport. A company owned by the Tasmanian Government, Hobart International Airport Pty Ltd, bought a 99-year lease.
In 2004, the domestic terminal was updated for the first time in 30 years. Shops were moved inside the security area, and the car park was changed. In 2005, a record number of passengers used the airport. This led to plans to add more seating space. The domestic terminal was made bigger by extending it over the tarmac.
In December 2007, the Tasmanian Government sold the airport for A$350 million. It was bought by the Tasmanian Gateway Consortium. This group included Macquarie Capital and Tasmania's public superannuation fund, Tasplan. Hobart Airport was the last capital city airport in Australia still controlled by the government. In 2019, Macquarie Capital sold its share to Queensland Investment Corporation and Schiphol Group.
Airport Buildings and Areas
Hobart Airport has two main buildings for passengers. In 2007, these two buildings were connected. This was part of a $15 million project to meet new laws requiring all checked bags to be X-rayed. The airport has a combined area for international, domestic, and general aviation planes. There are plans to create a separate area for general aviation in the future.
Domestic Terminal
The domestic terminal opened in 1976 and has been made bigger several times. All airlines use the same check-in and departure area. There is a Qantas Club lounge for passengers. The arrivals hall has two baggage carousels. One of these can be used for international arrivals. The domestic area has four parking spots for smaller planes like the Boeing 737. It also has two spots for slightly larger planes like the Boeing 767.
International Terminal
The international terminal opened in 1983 for flights to and from New Zealand. In 1985, it was updated to handle large planes like the Boeing 747. Since 1998, there have been no regular international flights. Now, this terminal is mostly used by Skytraders for flights to Antarctica. It is also used for occasional charter flights. This area can fit very large planes like the Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200.
Cargo Areas
Hobart Airport has two areas for domestic cargo. These handle freight for Qantas, Toll Air, and Virgin Australia. These areas include two buildings and a large space for cargo planes. Qantas uses special planes just for freight. In 2007, Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) and Toll Air opened a new cargo facility. This new area uses the cargo holds of passenger planes.
General Aviation
Most small private planes in Hobart use the nearby Cambridge Aerodrome. Hobart Airport has plans to expand its facilities for general aviation. This would happen if Cambridge Aerodrome is used for other things in the future. This expansion would include a new runway and a general aviation area.
The Runway
Hobart Airport has one runway, called 12/30. It runs north-west to south-east and is 2,727 meters (8,947 feet) long and 45 meters (148 feet) wide. The runway was made longer in 2017. It is built with asphalt and can handle all large planes, including the Boeing 777 and Boeing 747. The current runway is long enough for planes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to fly directly to places like China and Japan.
In 2009, Hobart International Airport Pty Ltd shared plans for the airport's future. Currently, planes have to taxi along the runway to get to their parking spots. This means the runway cannot be used by other planes at that time. The new plans include building a separate taxiway that runs parallel to the entire runway. This would allow planes to land and then exit the runway quickly, making the airport more efficient.
The airport has bought more land for future development. This extra space could be used for a shorter runway for general aviation planes. However, this second runway is not likely to be built soon. This is because the current runway is not yet used to its full capacity.
Other Services at the Airport
Hotel
In 2005, a plan was made to build a four-star hotel at the airport. The hotel, called the Quality Hotel Hobart Airport, opened on December 1, 2008. It has 78 rooms, a restaurant, and meeting rooms.
Shopping Area Plans
In 2006, the airport announced plans to build a large shopping center called a Direct Factory Outlet. It would have been the biggest of its kind in Australia. The Tasmanian Government supported the idea, thinking it would help local businesses. However, the Hobart City Council and many shop owners in the city center were worried. They feared losing customers.
The plans for the shopping center were sent to the Federal Government in 2008. The government approved it, but only if the size was cut almost in half. Because of this, the main investor pulled out of the project. The plans for the shopping center have not gone ahead.
Airlines and Where They Fly
Passenger Flights
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Jetstar | Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Link Airways | Canberra |
| Qantas | Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
| QantasLink | Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Sharp Airlines | Flinders Island, King Island |
| Skytraders | Seasonal Charter: Wilkins Runway |
| Virgin Australia | Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney |
Cargo Flights
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Cathay Pacific | Seasonal: Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Qantas Freight | Launceston, Melbourne |
| Pionair Australia | Seasonal Charter: Sydney |
Getting To and From the Airport
Hobart Airport has a car park for short, medium, and long stays. You can also find taxis and limousine services there. Many car rental companies operate at the airport, including Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, and Thrifty. Online ride-sharing services like Uber are also available.
Public transport to the airport is not as common as private transport. However, there is a bus service that runs between the Hobart Central Business District and the airport. The SkyBus shuttle leaves the terminal every 30 minutes to take passengers to the city.
Images for kids
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A Skytraders Airbus A319LR at Hobart Airport, used for flights to Antarctica.
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A map showing routes flown from Hobart Airport as of April 2021. Different colors show which airline flies the route.
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Hobart para niños
