Qantas Q400 boosts capacity on Bass Strait route. Peter Ede.

Increased capacity on QantasLink services between Melbourne and Hobart “has the potential to pump around $100m annually into the Tasmanian economy,” according to Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings.

Qantas will provide its customers greater flexibility and additional travel options, allocating an additional 1,700 seats on the Bass Strait route.

The new Q400 aircraft will complement Qantas’ existing Boeing 737 Melbourne-Hobart services.

The extra capacity comes at an opportune time for Tasmania, as Hobart was recently named one of the world’s top ten cities to visit in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2013.

Launceston and Devonport will also benefit from the increased flight schedule.

The Qantas Group now operate over 230 return services each week to Tasmanian cities.