Redline Airporter

One ticket from HBA T1 to Launceston or the north

If you’re heading straight from Hobart Airport (HBA T1) to Launceston, Devonport or the north coast, Redline Airporter lets you board an intercity coach at the terminal instead of detouring 18 km into Hobart CBD first. The Redline stop sits outside the single terminal at HBA, so you roll your bags straight from baggage claim to the coach bay.

Redline runs as part of longer Hobart–Launceston–Devonport routes, so Airporter trips do not follow the high-frequency pattern of SkyBus, which can run every 30 minutes. Timetables are tied to specific long-distance departures, and on some days you might see only a small handful of services that line up with HBA arrivals.

Because it’s an intercity coach, seats are shared with passengers boarding in Hobart or other towns, and Tasmanian travel forums say you should pre-book a ticket online to lock in a seat on peak holiday dates like Christmas or Easter. One reviewer mentioned saving the cost of a separate Hobart transfer by booking a through-ticket from the airport straight to Launceston.

Highway distances can be deceptive: Hobart to Launceston is about 200 km by road, and travellers report that coach times feel longer than the map suggests once you factor in intermediate stops. If you’re heading all the way to Devonport or the north coast, build in even more time, as those routes run beyond Launceston and don’t move at car speeds.

Complaints center on two things: luggage and gaps between services. Some reviews mention rushed luggage loading at HBA when the driver is juggling local stops plus airport passengers, and others point out that if you miss your booked Airporter, the next coach on that route might not show up for 2–4 hours depending on the day and season.

Regulars suggest matching your Redline departure to your flight with at least a 60-minute buffer between scheduled landing and coach time. If your inbound lands after the last northbound service, forum advice is blunt: stay one night in Hobart and catch a morning coach rather than gamble on delays or tight connections.

Step-by-step: using Redline Airporter from HBA

• 1. Check Redline’s Hobart–Launceston–Devonport timetable for your exact travel date and look for services marked to stop at Hobart Airport.
• 2. Pick a departure at least 60 minutes after your scheduled arrival into HBA T1 to cover taxi-in, immigration (if international) and baggage claim.
• 3. Pre-book online with your flight number and print the confirmation or save the PDF/QR code on your phone for the driver.
• 4. On arrival, exit HBA T1, follow signs to the coach and shuttle bays, and find the Redline stop listed on the external stand board.
• 5. Arrive at the stop 10–15 minutes before the scheduled time, place larger bags where the driver indicates, and keep valuables in a small carry-on.
• 6. Show your booking to the driver, confirm your destination (for example, Launceston Transit Centre or Devonport), then take a seat and keep your luggage tag if one is issued.
• 7. On arrival at your regional stop, wait for the driver to open the hold, grab your bags promptly, and double-check you have everything before the coach continues its route.

One last tip: if your plans are tight or in peak season, set an alert to re-check the timetable 24–48 hours before travel in case Redline tweaks departure times.