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The Tasmanian government has awarded a grant of up to $365,000 for infrastructure upgrades at Burnie Airport in the state’s northwest.
The upgrades, expected to begin early this year, will allow the airport to handle larger aircraft such as QantasLink Dash 8 Q400s. Burnie is currently served by QantasLink, Rex, and Sharp Airlines flights.
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“This funding will help secure the future of Burnie Airport by strengthening infrastructure around the bays to accommodate the new, bigger Qantas planes that are coming into service,” Kerry Vincent, Tasmania’s Minister for Infrastructure, said.
“We know this regional airport provides important access to King Island and the mainland for locals and visitors alike.
“Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, we are investing in critical infrastructure across the State to keep Tasmania’s economy strong and create jobs.”
Roger Jaensch, Liberal MP for Braddon, said it is important for Tasmanians to have “affordable and reliable access, both air and sea”.
“The Burnie Airport is an important gateway for locals, and these upgrades will ensure the infrastructure can support the new Qantas Q400 planes, which have more seats than the Q300,” he said.
“Not only is this a great outcome for the North West, it also aligns with the Government’s 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy, which outlines our plan to increase access to Tasmania.”
Qantas moved last year to purchase 14 mid-life Q400s to transition its QantasLink turboprop fleet to a single aircraft type. The Q400s, sourced from an unnamed international carrier, began entering service at the end of last year, with the first – VH-84A – taking flight in December.
According to Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson, the Q400s are more than 30 per cent faster, produce less carbon emissions per passenger, and are on average 10 years younger than the aircraft they are replacing.
“QantasLink turboprops carry more than 3.5 million customers to more than 50 destinations around regional Australia every year, and these next-generation aircraft allow us to improve the travel experience with a faster and more comfortable experience,” Hudson said last year.
“By consolidating our turboprops into a single fleet type, we’ll be able to further improve our reliability and provide a better recovery for our customers during disruptions as well as reducing complexity and cost for our operation.
“We know sustainable travel is important for our customers. These additional Q400s allow us to provide certainty to the regions over the next decade while we work with aircraft manufacturers and other suppliers on electric or battery-powered aircraft that are the right size and range for our network.”
