International from Hobart?

37 replies

aniljak

Member since 15 Sep 2012

Total posts 99

There is talk on a number of aviation forums that now Hobart has extended its runway, several airlines may be considering international routes to Hobart. Would you fly on an International service from Hobart? Where would you like to be able to fly to and would you be okay if it stopped enroute such as Hobart - Canberra - Singapore?

mviy

Member since 05 May 2016

Total posts 322

I don't see it as viable when it's a short flight from Hobart to Melbourne and you can walk between the domestic and international terminals in Melbourne easily.


If they're serious about this the terminal needs major upgrades especially expansion in size. The QANTAS Club lounge in Hobart is an embarrassment and easily the worst QANTAS Club lounge for any state/territory capital city in Australia.

Tancho

Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer

Member since 31 Jan 2013

Total posts 38

Not sure there is enough of a population in Tassie to make it viable?

aniljak

Member since 15 Sep 2012

Total posts 99

Singapore airlines did operate a number of very successful a310 charter flights into Hobart in early 90s. There is a potential asian tourism market especially if Tasmanian government gets behind it. My thinking is a service Singapore- Canberra- Hobart - Canberra- Singapore could work

Dredgy

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 02 Apr 2017

Total posts 182

Aside from SIN, leisure traffic to DPS may also work, and maaaaybe AKL. Limited destination options here.

hutch

Member since 07 Oct 2012

Total posts 772

Singapore airlines did operate a number of very successful a310 charter flights into Hobart in early 90s. There is a potential asian tourism market especially if Tasmanian government gets behind it. My thinking is a service Singapore- Canberra- Hobart - Canberra- Singapore could work

Why Canberra? Extending a current Melbourne as a tag may more sense... But once there is a stop, they lose a fair chunk of the advantage of flying there.

aniljak

Member since 15 Sep 2012

Total posts 99

Via Canberra would ensure a good mix of premium passengers and tourists. Dont think there will be a huge demand for premium classes to Hobart. Needs an aircraft more suited to regional routes. An a350 -900 or similar would be a suitable size aircraft. Tagging on to Melbourne wouldn't work as use larger aircraft including a380 for many services

Qf41

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 23 Feb 2017

Total posts 7

What about something a service that goes to NZ as well, just like the CBR flights. Something like SIN-HBA-ZQN/CHC/AKL. Two birds with one stone.

Or air asia flights from KUL.

The terminal obviously needs to be redeveloped before such flights with full service airlines begin.

GBRGB

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 21 Jan 2014

Total posts 295

Singapore or Auckland would be a possibility but it takes some govt assistance for customs subsidies etc to start the routes and get some numbers on the board, given the recent experience in Townsville where subsidised customs for international flights have failed to sustain services I don’t think the govt will be in a hurry to try it again anytime soon.

hutch

Member since 07 Oct 2012

Total posts 772

Via Canberra would ensure a good mix of premium passengers and tourists. Dont think there will be a huge demand for premium classes to Hobart. Needs an aircraft more suited to regional routes. An a350 -900 or similar would be a suitable size aircraft. Tagging on to Melbourne wouldn't work as use larger aircraft including a380 for many servic

Off my memory SQ's smallest aircraft is actually the 777-2, which they will be flying to Melbourne soon. They have also flown A330 to Melbs.


SQ moving CBR flights to via SYD in one direction, makes sense as it gave SQ a late night departure from SYD and gave Canberra a daily service on a better plane. Plus the distance between the two is negligible, combines a small market (Canberra) with a big market (Sydney) and there is likely to be reasonable load between SYD-CBR (due to continuing passengers to Canberra and new passengers collected in SYD).

Routing SIN-CBR-HBA combines two small markets, with a sizeable sector between CBR-HBA and no pick up rights. Assuming 50/50 distribution of passengers... The plane would be half empty flying to Hobart. It will be unlikely to sustain a daily service and as you have mentioned with fewer premium pax, resulting in a product drop for Canberra.

Meanwhile, our Hobart friends, benefit by gaining a one stop service to Singapore, which they can effectively already do...

hutch

Member since 07 Oct 2012

Total posts 772

What about something a service that goes to NZ as well, just like the CBR flights. Something like SIN-HBA-ZQN/CHC/AKL. Two birds with one stone.

Or air asia flights from KUL.

The terminal obviously needs to be redeveloped before such flights with full service airlines begin.


Given SQ is re-routing the CBR - WLG flights to MEL, due to the bigger market, I don't see it happening.

StuParr

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 01 Mar 2012

Total posts 203

Air NZ may do it due to the US tourists who come to NZ and then go to Tasmania, however more than AKL I can't see a large enough market

bobloblaw

Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club

Member since 20 Apr 2015

Total posts 5

I'd like to see a direct flight from Perth let alone an overseas port. Personally, a direct flight from Singapore would be great.

Doubleplatinum Banned

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum

Member since 07 Feb 2013

Total posts 431

Bogans to bali maybe, not enough pax for any other routes

Sibelius

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 06 Aug 2017

Total posts 181

Inbound tourism seems to be key here.


Hobart's population is pushing 220,000 and we're debating whether that's enough to sustain international flights. Yet Queenstown (population 15,000) can easily sustain several international flights per day. Even Cairns has a population of only about 150,000. Obviously there are factors other than simply population at play here. The fact is that it's more attractive to international tourists to start/end their NZ holidays in Queenstown, and their Australian holidays in Cairns, than it is to start/end their holidays in Hobart. Realistically, how likely is it that that will ever change?

I, too, am surprised that there are no direct flights from PER.

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