Tiger Airways cleared to resume Australia flights

SYDNEY: Budget carrier Tiger Airways will resume flying in Australia later this week after aviation authorities Wednesday lifted a costly six-week ban imposed over safety concerns.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) said the airline, a subsidiary of Singapore's Tiger Airways, could take to the air again whenever it wanted after it imposed new conditions on the carrier, including extra pilot training.

"Finally after a long period of being away from the Australian market, we are back. And we are very pleased to say that we are back," Tiger's acting chief executive Chin Yau Seng told journalists.

It plans to resume flights from Melbourne and Sydney on Friday.

CASA grounded the airline from July 2 after flights twice approached Melbourne airports too low, and following warnings about pilot proficiency, training and checking, and fatigue management.

But the regulator said Tiger had demonstrated it could comply with new conditions on its air operator's certificate, including additional simulator and ground training for pilots, and meet all safety requirements.

"We had concerns with the training Tiger was giving their pilots," CASA's director of aviation safety John McCormick said.

Tiger, which had repeatedly vowed to fly again in Australia, said it had already resumed ticket sales and would begin flights within the limits set by CASA, which restrict it to flying a maximum of 18 services a day in August.

Increased future operations must be approved by the regulator.

Chin Yau Seng said he was not in a position to disclose how much the suspension had cost, including compliance and legal costs, but said it was in the order of Sg$2 million (US$1.6 million) per week.

He said flights would begin with a simplified programme focusing on the most popular and profitable routes from Melbourne and Sydney.

The airline will also reduce its Australian operating fleet from 10 to eight Airbus A320 aircraft, redeploying the other planes to the company's other businesses.

"Tiger Airways Australia is committed to a safe, viable and long-term future in Australia," Chin Yau Seng said.

"We remain committed to regaining the confidence and trust of our customers, through an enhanced focus on punctuality and convenience, while offering our well known affordable fares."

Investigations into the two low-flying incidents by Tiger flights are ongoing.

But a preliminary investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau into the June 7 case said the error was due to an incorrect lowest descent altitude in the commercial navigational database.

It also said the flight crew did not initially notice that the altitude displayed in front of them was 500 feet below what they had been cleared for.

In the second incident on June 30, a Tiger plane descended some 400 feet below the minimum safe altitude, although a preliminary report has not been finalised.

In both cases the aircraft landed safely and no one was injured.

McCormick said CASA would meet regularly with the airline to review ongoing safety performance and compliance with the conditions on its operations, and that he would be confident flying with the carrier.

"And I'd put my family on it as well," he said.

The ban had raised fears about Tiger's future but Singapore Airlines, which has a 32.9 percent equity stake in Tiger Airways Holdings, has stated it has no plans to reduce its holdings.

Tiger's international services to and from Australia were not affected.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011