Tiger Airways will increase services to regional Australia to take on Virgin Blue’s new E-jets and QantasLink’s Q400s and 717s. Speaking last week at the National Aviation Press Club in Sydney, Tiger CEO Tony Davis told media that “destinations like Tamworth [in regional New South Wales] have seen the cost of airfares increase and their citizens are desperate for the low-cost revolution to arrive.” He said the cheapest flight from Tamworth to Melbourne [Tiger’s base] is on Qantas at A$356 ($332) and involves a Sydney stop.

Tiger plans to use 144-seat A319s for its regional push and the aircraft also will spearhead a move across the Tasman to New Zealand later in the year. Davis sees the A319 as perfectly sized, with 20 regional airports able to handle it and another 20 requiring just a slight lengthening of their runways (ATWOnline, March 7).

He added that Tiger has 50 A320s on order up to 2016 and a substantial number could be switched to A319s, with a fleet of up to 30 aircraft eventually based in Australia. Its initial fleet plan involved five A320s, with the fifth arriving next month, serving 13 destinations, and his speech offered early insight into the airline’s growth plans.

As it did last year, Tiger will invite Australians to vote online for their preferred regional destination as it attempts to gauge demand. Davis expects to announce a second Australian base within three months and told media that the airline plans five operating bases in the country over the next seven years. For the New Zealand market it is eyeing Palmerston North.

Tags: Australian Travel News

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