Launceston Airport is just a whisker away from breaking its all-time passenger record for the month of October, with over 119,000 people passing through the terminal in the last four weeks.
According to the latest figures, 119,449 passengers travelled through the airport in October, falling just 150 short of the record.
The strong numbers continue a positive trend for the airport, which has also set a new record for the busiest January-to-October period on record.
So far this year, 1,168,364 passengers have passed through Launceston Airport, a significant increase over the same period in previous years.
The numbers are particularly impressive, airport CEO Shane O’Hare said, considering the current “tight” economic climate and “turbulent aviation landscape”.
“We are on track to record the busiest year on record at Launceston Airport, and to do that in the face of some strong headwinds is a positive sign for tourism and business in this state,” he said.
“Our passenger numbers are now regularly above pre-pandemic levels and growing, which places us amongst a handful of airports nationwide that have achieved these results.”
The airport’s success is partly attributed to the resumption of Virgin Australia’s direct seasonal services to Perth and Adelaide in October.
These routes, along with existing Jetstar and Qantas services, give passengers direct access to five mainland capital city markets this summer, almost double the number available before the pandemic.
O’Hare said the upcoming launch of Qantas’ seasonal service to Brisbane in December will provide Tasmanians with even more options for getaways to south-east Queensland.
“These services are not only popular routes for passengers but also incredibly important for freight, enabling producers to get high-value, time-sensitive Tasmanian produce out to market,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time for the airport, with the strength of our passenger numbers enabling us to embark on the biggest infrastructure investment pipeline in the airport’s history.”
