Hobart International Airport - Runway

Runway

Hobart Airport has one runway, 12/30, which is aligned north–west to south–east, is 2,251 by 45 m (7,385 by 148 ft). The high strength flexible runway was constructed with an asphaltic concrete surface and is adequate for unrestricted operations up to and including Boeing 767 and Airbus A300 aircraft. Boeing 777/747 aircraft can operate with a weight restriction. The current runway length is adequate for direct flights to New Zealand, Cairns, Perth, Singapore and Jakarta. For longer range operations, a weight limit is imposed for aircraft landing and on take off. The runway conforms to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's standards.

Hobart International Airport Pty Ltd has announced detailed plans for the airport within its new master plan until 2029. Currently aircraft landing on the runway have to taxi along the runway and proceed to the parking apron via taxiways in the middle of the runway. This has both capacity and safety implications for the airport, as the runway cannot be used whilst an aircraft is taxiing on the runway. In the coming years, the airport plans on providing a parallel taxiway to the full length of runway. When complete, aircraft landing on the Runway can proceed to the end of the runway and exit via the parallel taxiway. This would allow for greater utilization of the existing runway.

The landing length required at Hobart for a Boeing 747 at maximum operational landing weight is 2,400 m (7,900 ft), a minimum runway extension of 150 m (490 ft) would be beneficial to the operation of the airport. With either end of the runway surrounded by roads, the possibility for extending the runway is limited; however, a geometric exercise was undertaken to determine the possible runway extension in the future. This exercise indicated the potential to extend the runway to 2,530 by 90 m (8,300 by 300 ft) to the north and 190 m (620 ft) to the south – an extension of approximately 280 m (920 ft) meters. However, unless future air traffic demands it, there are no immediate plans to extend the runway.

The airport has purchased land from the Tasmanian Government in the southern part of the airport for future development of further operational facilities. This additional area would allow for a short runway for general aviation aircraft. The purchase would allow a runway either parallel to the main runway along the southern end of the eastern boundary of the airport, or a cross runway towards the southern end of the main runway. The alternative second runway would provide an opportunity to improve the operational management of the lighter categories of aircraft. However, these capabilities will most likely be developed in the relatively distant future. The second runway is not likely to be developed any time soon, because the existing runway is presently under-utilised.