A record-breaking 126,911 passengers passed through the airport in February 2024, beating the pre-pandmic figure of 117,250.

The 12 months prior also led to another all-time high, with 1,398,804 travellers catching flights in and out of Launceston over that period.

The previous record was 1,396,221, recorded over the year leading to December 2019.

While the calendar was chock-full of mainland events - the FIFA Women's World Cup and tours by artists like Taylor Swift and Pink - airport chief executive officer Shane O'Hare said this was not a flash in the pan.

"If they weren't there, it'd be a bit less, but I don't think it would have materially changed the outcome at all," Mr O'Hare said.

"There is still an underlying strength, which is demonstrated by the growth of inbound passengers."

Nearly 700,000 passengers flew into Launceston over the past 12 months - just about matching the number of outbound passengers.

Mr O'Hare attributed the meteoric rise to the airport "swimming against the tide" during the COVID-19 pandemic, working to expand the number of non-stop routes between Launceston.

The number of non-stop destinations has doubled over the past two and a half years, with passengers able to access the six largest mainland cities directly from Launceston.

There was also the arrival of Bonza, which began flights between Launceston and the Gold Coast in November 2023, and is set to begin Sunshine Coast-bound trips at the end of March.

"The Gold Coast route has already shown very strong growth from the outset," Mr O'Hare said.

"Having a look at the forward projections for Sunshine Coast, the first flight has sold out and we're seeing a very strong build over the next six months at least - and that's before it's even started.

"We're expecting a wider reach of passengers actually making the journey to Launceston from the South to fly nonstop to the Sunshine Coast because otherwise it's a very messy process to transfer from Brisbane."

With passenger numbers continually on the increase Mr O'Hare said money continued to be pumped into upgrades - with $200 million earmarked for investment over the next 10 years.

New parking facilities are set to be built over the next 18 months, as are new facilities to handle the arrival of Qantas' new air freight fleet.

Plans are also being drawn up for a new intermodal freight hub, which will link road, rail, air, and sea transport.

The arrivals hall is set to begin a makeover by the end of 2024, and in the short term the airport's retail offerings are due a refresh.

Mr O'Hare said the tender process had been hotly contested.

"We've been quite overwhelmed by the submissions and the interest that we've had in the retail tender," he said.

"There's a potential 1.4 million passengers a year, with a lot of international and domestic tourists.

"We're really focused on offering an authentic Tasmania experience through that."