Qantas And Jetstar Increase Domestic Flights

[Jarden S]

Also LST has completely lost all services from Tiger while HBA only lost the ADL flights. So while HBA not gain any new flights it not loose so much that LST did. Its a classic case for both cities you win some and you loose some.

[Kain C]

Not correct. TT used to operate double daily HBA-MEL, but now only operate 11 per week, 7 of which depart HBA at 22:15, so not overly great. So HBA has lost 4 x ADL, 3 x MEL = 7, same as LST. From the end of October, TT only operate 10 per week HBA-MEL (but at least the times are friendly) so in fact HBA loses 1 more than LST.

But it's no use trying to convince these northern Tasmanians. They have no concept of money, since everything up there is funded from coffers from the South. The fact is, it costs money to run airports and operate flights. Someone has to pay for that. Seems that gone are the days where an airline operated flights according to the demands of passengers. It is all about extorting funds from airports and governments; any paying passengers or freight are simply a bonus for the airline, not the primary revenue. It is another unsustainable race to the bottom. JQ seem to have forgotten that HBA and DRW were the top two performing airports over the recent downturn. If it wasn't for the growth of HBA passengers during this period they might have operated in the red. Then when it comes time for the rebound, HBA is ready to accelerate further, trends are pointing to a record season, we've built the extra hotels etc and we get nothing from JQ but the cowardly attempts of extorting funds. Meanwhile, other areas where passenger numbers are falling get an almost 50% increase in seats, only because of the receipt of bribes essentially???

Where are all these alledged extra passengers going to accomodate when they get to LST? Because we are on an island, TAS requires slower steady growth, because all passengers must be new passengers, not passengers transferring from other modes, eg car. This is different to say OOL, MCY, where JQ can pick up extra pax who choose to fly instead of drive. Hence in OOL, MCY the accomodation etc is already in place, where as in TAS it is not so much. If these flights mean that fewer people travel over on the boat (another service for the north subsidised by the south), then it just means those subsidies go to waste!!!

My final point on this matter just to clear up a misconception; others on this board have wrongly assumed that I am anti LST. Not so. I am simply frustrated that HBA has been one of the top performing airports recently, yet is just about the only airport to receive no increases. Where is the logic in that? Meanwhile, JQ seem to reward airports performing mediocrely with addiditional services??? Other than that, we might just have to agree to disagree, since this topic needs to be brought back on track.

[Jarden S]

Cairns airport has a new contract with Jetstar which is really paying off big time with the airline doubling the number of flights to here in less than a year. If Hobart could some how copy this successful agreement that we have it too may see a massive expansion of capacity to the airport and maybe Jetstar could launch new routes from HBA to ADL, PER, and OOL etc or even to NZ!

LST is owned by MEL airport so mabye that has something to do with it.

[Brad Myer]

Jetstar has just announced more flight increases:

*Extra daily SYD-ADL-SYD
*Extra daily MEL-ADL-MEL
*Extra daily SYD-BNE-SYD
*Extra daily MEL-BNE-MEL
*Additional weekly SYD-TSV-SYD services
*Additional weekly SYD-BNK-SYD services

[Jon B]

Actually the Tassie Ferry service is not subsidised by the South as such but by all Australian Taxpayers via the freight equalisation scheme so that effectively a "road" freight rate should apply to goods to and from Tassie. Thus why taking your car on the ferry is relatively cheap.

The North also has Burnie/Wynyard and devonport airports with regional airline services to Melbourne so still well served for the population i think

[Mike W]

Geez, the feud between the Tassie North and South sounds like the McCoys and Hatfields, redneck connection intended.