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Hobart International Airport is an airport located in Cambridge, 17 km east of Hobart,
Tasmania. The airport has seen strong passenger growth in the last few years, primarily
due to the increase in services from low-cost carriers. The airport handles about
1,000,000 passengers and 15,000 air movements, making it the ninth busiest in relation
to passenger numbers and currently ranks as the second fastest growing airport in
Australia.
The airport maintains a conjoined international and domestic terminal. The major
domestic airlines that serve the airport are Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger
Airways, all who are currently running flights on the main route to Melbourne Airport.
At present, all the airlines operating at the airport utilize narrow-body aircraft.
The airport plays a strategic role due to its location Skytraders conducts regular
flights to Antarctica on behalf of the Australian Antarctic Division using an Airbus
A319. Although the airport has not had a regular scheduled international passenger
service since 1998, the airport maintains customs and immigration facilities for
aircraft entering the country.
Hobart International Airport was opened 1956, when a review found the nearby Cambridge
Aerodrome was unsuitable for Hobart's future air transport needs. Occupying approximately
565 hectares of land, the airport is sited on a narrow peninsula; take-off and landing
are inevitably directed over bodies of water regardless of approach/departure direction.
This region-especially that immediately surrounding the Airport, remains largely
unpopulated which enables the airport to operate curfew-free services.
Hobart Airport has two passenger terminals. During 2007 the two terminals were connected
in a 15 million dollar development to meet new federal security laws that requires
all checked luggage to be X-rayed. In 2008, the airport received a commendation
for public architecture at the Tasmanian Chapter of the Australian Institute of
Architects, for the new terminal upgrade. The airport currently maintains a combined
international, domestic and general aviation apron. Provisions have been made to
create a dedicated general aviation apron to the south of the one currently in use.
The current Domestic Terminal was opened in 1976, and has been expanded several
times since then. All airlines share the same check in and departure area in the
centre of the building. The south-eastern end of the building contains a Qantas
Club and serves as the Qantas and Jetstar arrivals area while the north-western
international end of the building is used by Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. The
domestic apron has four parking bays for narrow-body (Boeing 737/Airbus A320-sized)
aircraft, overlaid by two positions for small wide-body (Boeing 767-sized) aircraft.
The International Terminal was opened in 1983 to facilitate Trans-Tasman air traffic.
During 1985 the terminal was upgraded along with the runway to provide limited 747
operations. There have been no regular international flights served by the airport
since 1998, when Air New Zealand suspended operations to Christchurch; however the
operators of the airport have expressed an interest in resuming international flights
in the future. At present the Terminal is used by Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways
for domestic arrivals, Skytraders for flights to Antarctica and occasional charter
airline flights, there being two such flights, by First Choice Airways, in 2009.
The terminal's apron has a single wide-body parking bay overlapping two narrow-body
bays. This bay is able to accommodate large wide-body aircraft up to and including
Boeing 747-400 and 777-200. The international Terminal's baggage carousel and apron
are currently used for domestic operations as well as Skytraders' operations.
There are two domestic freight areas operating at the airport, catering for Australian
air Express, Toll Air and Virgin Blue The Australian air Express facility is located
south of the Domestic terminal. The facility includes two buildings on a total area
of approximately 10,000 square metres, including the freight apron area. Australian
air Express uses dedicated jet freight aircraft. In January 2007, Virgin Blue and
Toll Air opened a 1,000 square metres dedicated freight facility at to the north
of the international terminal. Currently this new freight area has no dedicated
apron of its own, but rather makes use of the cargo holds of the passenger planes
already serving the airport.
Hobart Airport is currently served by Tasair, Rotor lift and Sky Trek. The majority
of Hobart's general aviation traffic makes use of the nearby Cambridge Aerodrome.
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