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Air New Zealand is set to expand its seasonal Auckland-Hobart service as it returns for a sixth year.
The route, set to resume next month, will operate three times per week for most of the season, with a fourth flight to be added over the peak between 27 February and 20 March. This will increase available seats by 28 per cent over the previous year.
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“This is a great result for Tasmanians and reflects the strong demand we’re seeing for direct travel between Tasmania and New Zealand,” said Hobart Airport CEO Norris Carter.
“The service will now run from 25 October through to the end of April, which is great for Easter and will also capture more school holiday traffic. Through our investment with Air New Zealand and the Aviation Attraction Fund we expect to see continued growth over the next three years.
“This will deliver up to 170 flights and over 33,000 seats this season, an increase of 36 flights (27 per cent) and 7,268 seats (28 per cent) compared with last year’s service.
“We’re pleased to be working with Air New Zealand to continue building this service and providing greater choice for Tasmanians. The support of the Tasmanian Government through the Aviation Attraction Fund, together with strong demand, has enabled us to secure this next stage of growth.”
According to Air New Zealand’s general manager for short haul and domestic, Lucy Hall, the expanded schedule “reflects the continued popularity of the route”.
“We’ve seen strong support for the route over successive seasons, and this growth is a great example of how we can work with our partners to build sustainable connectivity where there is clear customer demand,” Ms Hall said.
“We look forward to welcoming more Tasmanians on board and bringing more New Zealanders across to experience everything Tasmania has to offer.”
The news comes as Hobart opens new departure and arrivals areas as part of major terminal works. The airport’s master plan includes $200 million to overhaul its terminal, as the current facility was designed for 1.5 million passengers per year and currently handles around 3 million, with forecasts of 3.5 million by 2030.
Works have also included a $130 million runway overhaul that was completed last year, allowing it to handle larger aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.
Previous works completed in 2018 extended the main runway to 2,727m, allowing for larger aircraft to and from the Asia-Pacific and Antarctica, at $40 million.
The upgrades are expected to be completed by early 2027.
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