Qantas boosts flights to Hobart, Launceston and Devonport

Business travellers heading to and from Tasmania will see extra Qantas flights from Melbourne to Hobart, Launceston and Devonport starting this October, which means more seats and better connection options for the rest of Australia and trips overseas.

The new flights start on 29 October, and will use QantasLink Bombardier Dash-8 Q400 planes -- the largest of the propeller-driven turboprops in the QantasLink fleet, but still with the Dash-8's all-economy layout.

The Melbourne-Hobart route, already served by two daily Boeing 737 flights, will gain an extra daily service on the Q400.

Melbourne-Launceston travellers get a 65 percent boost to the weekly schedule, growing from 17 return flights to 28 each week, again on the Q400s.

Melbourne-Devonport's two weekly flights will be upgraded from a Q300 propeller-driven aircraft to the slightly larger Q400, adding a few dozen extra seats in each direction.

If you're travelling between Sydney and Hobart on QF1019 or QF1020, you'll want to check your ticket -- the flights have changed times. QF1019 moves from a 1415 departure from Sydney to 0925, while QF1020 shifts from 1040 to 1155.

“These changes will have significant appeal to both business and leisure travellers and will provide access to a wider range of connections across the domestic and international network,” Qantas domestic CEO Lyell Strambi said, announcing the extra flights.

“Tasmania is a very important market for Qantas and we will continue to monitor customer feedback to support travel within the region,” Strambi promised.

PS: Have you seen the 'boxing kangaroo' featured on this Qantas Boeing 747? Click through for the full story!

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John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.