Singapore-based low-fare start-up carrier Tiger Airways is close to deciding between Airbus A320s and Boeing 737-700/800s for its fleet.
Tiger, which is being established by Singapore Airlines (SIA) together with investors from the USA and the UK, plans to start operatinglate in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter. The airline says that an air operator's certificate application will be filed shortly. Industry sources say it is leaning towards the A320 in part because of availability.
The start-up carrier's chairman William Franke says orders for leased and/or purchased aircraft are due before the end of March. Franke is managing partner and co-founder with David Bonderman of US-based Indigo Partners, which has a 24% stake in Tiger. The main shareholder is SIA, which has 49%, while SIA's main shareholder, Singapore government investment arm Temasek Holdings owns 11%. Irelandia Investments, owned by the family of Ryanair founder Tony Ryan, has 16%.
The airline's partners insist the airline will be operated entirely independently from SIA, serving destinations within a 4h range of Singapore from the city state's main Changi airport.
Franke says the airline aims to start operations with five or six aircraft, adding that past experience of low-fare airlines in other parts of the world suggests up to 25 aircraft could be operated by its third or fourth year of operation.
Patrick Gan, a Singaporean who spent 18 years in the pharmaceutical sector, has been appointed chief executive. He is taking over from acting chief Charlie Clifton, who remains with the company in an advisory capacity.
NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
