The major airports of Hobart and Launceston operate air services to other capital cities, principally Melbourne and Sydney. The DEC of all Tasmanian airports is projected to increase from $515 million in 2011 to $771 million in 2031, a 50 per cent rise.
In the absence of interstate land transport options, airports are important for the movement of passengers and freight to and from Tasmania. However, passenger and freight throughput are relatively modest at the two largest airports.
Table 83: Tasmanian airport passenger numbers - 2013-14478
| Revenue passenger (No.) | ||||
| Airport | Domestic (incl. Regional) Airlines | International Airlines | Total passengers | Total as % of national total |
| Hobart | 2,106,642 | 0 | 2,106,642 | 1.44% |
| Launceston | 1,286,284 | 0 | 1,286,284 | 0.88% |
| Devonport | 131,529 | 0 | 131,529 | 0.09% |
| Burnie | 66,771 | 0 | 66,771 | 0.05% |
| King Island | 33,352 | 0 | 33,352 | 0.02% |
| Flinders Island | 20,359 | 0 | 20,359 | 0.01% |
Source: Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (2014i)
The Launceston Airport Master Plan forecasts that airport passenger numbers will approximately double to 2.5 million in 2035.479 Hobart Airport forecasts passenger numbers to double, from 2.11 million in 2014 to 4.25 million by 2029.480 These forecasts are broadly consistent with the Audit's DEC projections for airports in those regions.
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478. Tasmanian airports do not currently service international passengers or international freight.
479. Launceston Airport (2015)
480. Hobart International Airport (2009)