Hobart Airport HBA $25 mill upgrade

[RooFlyer]

A seeming welcome announcement (there is no announcement on the airport web site); but that appears to be where the welcome ends. The last time HBA was upgraded was before Virgin started and this resulted in the 'new' terminal immediately being chokkers.

BUT:

The upgrade will not *include airbridges, meaning passengers will still have to walk from planes to the terminal. But it is understood the plans will include measures to make the walk along the tarmac “more pleasurable”.

... whatever that means!! At the moment with Virgin you can get up to 180 metre walk from the terminal door to aircraft door and vice versa. In a Tassie winter, that's not fantastic. "Welcome to Tasmania!!"

This is also concerning:

The facelift will transform the inside of the terminal that has long been criticised for not being up to standard as the gateway to the state.

... which sounds like no actual expansion of the available space.

The terminal upgrade coincides with the company *responsible for running food and beverage operations at some of the world’s biggest airports taking over operations in Hobart.The Australian arm of SSP Global, a company with operations in 29 countries across five continents including New York’s JFK Airport, London’s Heathrow, the Hong Kong International Airport and Sydney’s international terminal, has been contracted to overhaul the food and beverage options on offer at the *terminal.

.. so its $25 mill of new coffee shops?

Just saw the airport CEO Richard Parry on the TV. he said (and I quote):

They [passengers] don’t want a capital city airport, they want something quirky, they want something Tasmanian and that’s what we’ll give them."

Oh, good grief. So we are going to get giant stuffed Tasmanian Devils then?

He also said:

Weather protection for passengers is very important to us.

.. but they aren't going to provide air bridges. Umbrellas, then?

What chance a Virgin lounge when its all done (2017)?

Hobart airport is owned:
50.1% owned by Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund III
49.9% owned by Retirement Benefits Fund (RBF) Board

 

[RooFlyer]

OK, elsewhere in the Hobart Airport site I did find some images.

A new 'Arrivals Hall" looks to be plonked in front of the area where the Saffire lounge is now, between the old baggage shed (on the left) and Virgin arrivals (this will mean arriving QF passengers will get a very long walk). But it will be "more pleasurable"



And this is what they illustrate as 'landside entry'.




:shock:

And people wonder where I get my cynicism from.

 

[JessicaTam]

Don't worry RooFlyer, I share your cynicism.

It seems like a lot of money for not much return.

 

[eastwest101]

Without a net increase in floorspace? Waste of time and money in my opinion. Last summer I went through there the security screening area was a disaster. VA Lounge scheduled for 2117?

 

[TomVexille]

New coffee shops AND it'll look pretty?

 

[RooFlyer]

Without a net increase in floorspace? Waste of time and money in my opinion. Last summer I went through there the security screening area was a disaster. VA Lounge scheduled for 2117?

By the look of it there will be some increase in floor space ...eg the entry area into the new arrivals hall ... but overall it looks like it'll just be reconfiguring the existing basic shell. And a lot of the reconfig looks like providing more retail space .. more income for the airport owners! Its Macquarie Bank remember.

The security screening area was upgraded this year; still only 2 lanes but a much better layout with, bless 'em, a long approach bench on both sides where you can get your stuff out and over-take the slow pokes without elbowing.

 

[thegurio]

I got so excited about this when I heard a snippet on the news, and now I feel as deflated as a 4 day old cheap servo ballon... Honestly, if you're going to spend that sort of money, I would at least expect a second level, and aerobridges!

what a joke... Aside from the fact that I'm begging for a VA HBA lounge, it would be nice if we were included in the grand scheme of all things VA....

 

[Ryan]

It's just a band aid solution, unfortunately. It's a joke of an airport and needs rebuilding from scratch. I hope it eventually includes a VA lounge as part of the "revamp."

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

I was at HBA last week & felt totally underwhelmed by the whole airport experience at HBA.

By by all means go Quirky, but another coffee shop isn't go to be the silver bullet this airport requires.

substantial more space is required to expand the QF lounge to become larger than its current broom closet size along with this , allocation of enough space for VA to finally open its lounge would be a great starting point.

The main departure lounge is bursting at the seams during peak periods I've noticed.

 

[quokka77]

Agree. CNS and OOL both outclass HBA. It's a tired old place in Summer, must be really crummy in Winter.

 

[wandering_fred]

Agree. CNS and OOL both outclass HBA. It's a tired old place in Summer, must be really crummy in Winter.

CNS wouldn't surprise me. My last trip through (1987) I landed on a 747.
And CNS still has a fair international schedule.
Neither of which HBA has and likely will continue to miss out on.
Perhaps I will visit HBA someday. :shock:

Trivia: Pity there's minimal passengers PER-HBA-CHC. The stop at HBA would add about a mile to the great circle route PER-CHC

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[RooFlyer]

Outside of the $25 mill, which will mainly enhance the shopping 'experience' at HBA (but I think will also consolidate baggage retrieval into one newly built area) there is a federally funded runway extension, which will allow planes large than a 737 to land (not sure how large). The market being targeted is, not surprisingly, China. The Chinese President visited not long ago and there is a genuine market for direct flights ... we'll have to wait if that actually develops.

In the meantime HBA maintains its 'international' status via flights to non Australian bases in Antarctica .

 

[FlyboyAl]

I used to enjoy arriving on Virgin and coming in through the International Arrivals area. Walking past closed customs doors and windows etc.
Sort of gave you the feeling you were going to another country!!!!

 

[dajop]

there is a federally funded runway extension, which will allow planes large than a 737 to land (not sure how large).

HBA used to have regular summer charters from SIN on SQ, mainly on A340's. QF have also landed 747's there. So they can definitely handle more than 737's!

Pictures at HBA:
SQ A340
QF 744
QF 747-200
Anotonov 124

 

[RooFlyer]

You amaze me. Interesting.

I just watched a youtube video of a near empty EK cargo 747 rotate after 600m into a strong headwind, but I can't imagine that a 747 configured for substantial pax load could be easily scheduled onto HBA's 2,500m runway, even without a long haul fuel load. Ah, and looking at some tech forums, it looks like 747s do land on runways abt 2,000m, but obviously can only take off with light loads (ie a fuel stop before too long after departure). If they bring the tourists in that way, they probably gotta get out the same way and hopefully taking a bunch of souvenirs with them!

 

[RooFlyer]

I used to enjoy arriving on Virgin and coming in through the International Arrivals area. Walking past closed customs doors and windows etc.
Sort of gave you the feeling you were going to another country!!!!

Sometimes not so closed. You remember how you go through the door, then a 180 degree turn round a couple of corners into that glassed customs area before baggage? Twice I've gone round that corner to be confronted with a couple of cops (armed, natch) and couple of other guys & gals. Everyone stop, put down and open up your carry-on bags, empty out pockets and let the dog walk past you slowly ...

Obviously a tip-off and the dog wasn't the usual nice & friendly looking beagle!

 

[dajop]

Ah, and looking at some tech forums, it looks like 747s do land on runways abt 2,000m, but obviously can only take off with light loads (ie a fuel stop before too long after departure). If they bring the tourists in that way, they probably gotta get out the same way and hopefully taking a bunch of souvenirs with them!

I am guessing given the ongoing reductions in worldwide fleet of 747's that charter 747 services are not going to be the target market for HBA. I'd expect 787's, 350's and 330's are the better fit. But certainly 777's - which IIRC do require considerable length of runway at MTOW - and maybe that's the target here, Chinese 777's? Or EK? Although charters are probably in the main only have self loading freight (aka passengers), so would they have lighter load than a typical scheduled service? Unless there's separate freight only opportunities to consider.

 

[RooFlyer]

Chinese definitely the target market - a scheduled service was being touted when their Prez was here, but hard to see that as being sustainable. Charters would be more realistic, I suspect. And you would expect that freight opportunities would be jumped on by Tas high value fresh product people: - crays, oysters, raspberries, cherries.

The 500m extension will take it to 3,000m which hopefully can accommodate a decently laden 777. Hmmm ... maybe not - good 'ol wiki tells me that 777-300 and 300ER both need abt 3,200m - 3,400m at MTOW at sea level. A340s appear to need abt 3,000m at MTOW.

 

[RooFlyer]

More news on HBA redevelopment (going beyond the $25 mill terminal development the original subject here)

Draft Master Plan, and more info on mostly federally Funded runway extension (this was announced ages ago), and other road additions/closures located here.

The 500m runway extension will be accomplished by squeezing bits in on both ends, but most on the seaward side. This means the beach-parallel road at that end will be closed (causing a bit of inconvenience) as vehicles there will now be too close to landing aircraft (obviously no imagination here ... the possibility of a St Maartin - like thrill should be a tourist winner!!) You can see the affected road on the right in this pic:




Interestingly, they give this diagram to show the conflict:



Would an aircraft 300m out from touchdown really be only 4m off the ground??

 

[Boris spatsky]

Chinese definitely the target market - a scheduled service was being touted when their Prez was here, but hard to see that as being sustainable. Charters would be more realistic, I suspect. And you would expect that freight opportunities would be jumped on by Tas high value fresh product people: - crays, oysters, raspberries, cherries.

The 500m extension will take it to 3,000m which hopefully can accommodate a decently laden 777. Hmmm ... maybe not - good 'ol wiki tells me that 777-300 and 300ER both need abt 3,200m - 3,400m at MTOW at sea level. A340s appear to need abt 3,000m at MTOW.

I believe that the primary reason for the extension being funded by the government is to provide more options to Antarctica (better payload/more fuel) to support AAD.