July 26, 2024

Launceston Airport soars past pre pandemic passenger numbers

Launceston Airport is celebrating a record breaking 12 months, having become one of the few airports around the nation to exceed pre pandemic passenger levels for the 2024 financial year.

The airport welcomed 1,423,947 passengers throughout the previous financial year, which represents a 10 per cent increase on the same time last year and the airport’s busiest 12-month period on record.

Another record was smashed on December 22 when 5,954 passengers arrived or departed through the airport marking the busiest day in the airport’s history.

Launceston Airport CEO Shane O’Hare said the last 12 months were the culmination of years of post-pandemic work by the airport, Tourism Tasmania and the state government.

"These results don’t happen in a vacuum, and I’m incredibly lucky to have an amazing team around me who have worked hard since the pandemic along with our airline partners, Tourism Tasmania and the state government to open up new destinations as well as attracting tourists from Australia and further abroad to Tasmania,” he said.

“Exceeding 1.4 million passengers in a financial year is incredibly positive for us and the state, and to do it in this current climate is truly remarkable.

“We know Tasmanians want direct access to our mainland capital cities and since the pandemic we’ve doubled direct services out of the airport to deliver better access for our passengers and local exporters.

“Our recovery as an airport was one of the quickest around the nation, and in the past 12 months we’ve set seven new monthly passenger records.

“Tourism Tasmania’s ‘Off Season’ campaign has been instrumental in driving this growth, enticing people to Tassie to become ‘winter people’ in what would traditionally be low patronage months.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved in the last 12 months, not only have we set new records but at the same time we’ve completed the biggest infrastructure project at the airport in more than a decade with the opening of our new Check-in Hall and Security screening point.”

For further information contact: Launceston Airport Media on (03) 9335 3666


Australia Pacific Airports (Launceston) acknowledges the First Nations people and Traditional Owners of Tasmania including the Land that Launceston Airport operates on. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all other First Nations People.