There’s something special about an airport.
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For a place that has strict federal rules, it’s quite unusually relaxed.
You can be forgiven to think you have entered another world with different rules.
It’s where you can get a beer at 9am before a flight – with no perceived judgment – or sleep on the floor using a back pack as a pillow.
It’s where you can brush your teeth in the sink or do the awkward dance of changing clothes in a small cubicle.
Then there is the emotion.
Business people who have the art of going through security as an exact science.
Their pockets are always empty, jackets perched ready to be placed on the conveyor and loose change doesn’t set off any alarms.
There’s the excited kids experiencing the wonder of their first trip on a plane, loved ones waiting for people to return from their time away and others saying the hardest goodbyes in the departure lounge.
Popular rom-com Love Actually had the scenes at airports depicted perfectly.
Launceston is no exception to all of the above.
A lot has also changed in the world of airports in the past 20 years, or since the Launceston Airport was privatised.
Obviously technology has had a big impact. The planes are larger and time in the air is shorter. Boarding passes can now be issued using a mobile phone.
The biggest change was 9/11.
That day changed the world and Australian airports were forced to improve safety protocols in relation to items on board (knitting needles were banned) and security measures (bomb tests after moving through security).
On top of these changes has been the rise in tourism, in particular Tasmania and Launceston.
The airport has seen tremendous growth. It’s the first impression our visitors have when arriving to our state.
And the continual improvements make that impression a good one.
The airport plays an integral role in improving our economy and attracting population growth – it’s the ease of travelling between states to conduct business or visit family.
Tasmanians should be proud of the Launceston Airport. In particularly there should be optimism based on what is to come – the sky is the limit.
