Launceston Airport CEO Hans van Pelt welcomes state government funding for airport upgrades

On behalf of everyone at Launceston Airport, I’d like to thank Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein and his government for committing $5.15 million towards upgrading our airport infrastructure.

With state borders opening up, domestic tourism will play a key role in stimulating the economy and it’s great to see such support within the state budget for the wider tourism industry which has arguably been hit the hardest during COVID-19.

The funding will ensure we can grow to welcome around 1.9 million passengers by financial year 2028. It will also directly support hundreds of construction jobs as we work through our expansion plans.

Thanks to the Premier’s recent relaxation of borders we’re seeing airlines quickly add capacity into Launceston. By the end of the year we hope to be serving up to 60 per cent of our pre-COVID passenger numbers, putting us well ahead of other cities.

The state’s historic infrastructure spend should be applauded as it will no doubt stimulate jobs and inject millions into the local economy as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.

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For further information contact: Launceston Airport - (03) 6391 6222