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The low-fare airline Tiger Airways has
announced two new routes between Singapore and India. The
airline will operate four flights per week to Chennai, starting
from October 28, 2007. The airline will also operate three
flights per week to Kochi starting October 30, 2007.
One-way fares for both routes start from $ 59.99/ $ 38.80/Rs
1,599.
With the addition of these new routes to
India, Tiger Airways will operate a comprehensive international
network of a low fare airline in the region, with services to
countries having a combined population exceeding three billion.
Tiger Airways has already established itself as the largest
international low fare airline to serve China and later this
year will commence domestic services within Australia. Tiger Airways is the only Singapore-based low fare airline to
operate flights between Singapore and India. With its low fare
model, which offers prices almost half of the current published
fares of other airlines, Tiger Airways is confident of strong
demand for its affordable services, said Tony Davis, CEO of
Tiger Airways. "This is another milestone moment for Tiger Airways. The airline
has now established an extensive network of low fare routes
across the Asia-Pacific region offering services from as far as
Melbourne to Chennai and Guangzhou to Perth. We are very excited
to launch our services in India, a very promising landscape for
the growing aviation industry. It is today the world's second
largest aviation market and we see great potential for low-fare
international flights. Tiger Airways is now the only low fare
airline to offer services across the whole of Asia, encompassing
China, South-East Asia and India, and Australia." With these new routes, Tiger Airways now offers low fare flights
to 20 destinations across eight countries and territories in the
Asia-Pacific region. The strategic location of Singapore as an
operating hub means that tile entire Tiger Airways network can
be operated using a single fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft,
providing cost efficiencies that "we translate into lower fares
for our customers", said Davis. The airline recently concluded an order for an additional 50 new
Airbus A320 aircraft, bringing its total fleet to 70 aircraft,
which it will introduce intro service in Asia and within
Australia over the next few years. Tiger Airways earlier this year obtained the authority to
operate its flights on an extended twin engine operations (ETOPS)
basis, which enables the airline to operate more efficient
direct routings between Singapore and points in southern India. Singapore and India already enjoy close historical and
socio-economic ties with a large Indian community in Singapore.
The boost of affordable air travel will provide for an increase
in tourism and commercial opportunities in both countries, he
said. Tiger Airways is also looking at the possibility of providing
flights to other Indian cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad,
Thiruvananthapuram, besides other metros, since India is now a
huge market, Davis added. R Rangaraj |
