Tiger Downsizing Again

[Greg Hyde]

Virgin Australia slashes Tigerair fleet as coronavirus bites

Virgin Australia will drastically shrink its budget arm Tigerair's fleet and is preparing steep capacity cuts across its entire network as the coronavirus outbreak stunts efforts to lift out of its financial woes.

Australia’s number two airline on Wednesday reported a statutory net loss of $97 million for the six months to December 31, a swing from a $55 million profit in the same half a year earlier.

Virgin said it would cut seven A320 aircraft from Tigerair by October which, with the transfer of two 737 from its Virgin operations, will reduce the budget carrier's fleet from 13 to eight aircraft. That means Tigerair's fleet will have more than halved over two years.

Virgin chief executive Paul Scurrah said the coronavirus outbreak was having a "significant effect" on the travel industry, and would cost the airline up to $75 million in the second half from lower domestic and international demand.

“We are responding to this with immediate steps to minimise impact to the group’s financial position," Mr Scurrah said.

The airline earlier this month dropped Hong Kong from its international network, with the coronavirus the final straw for the loss-making route.

Virgin on Wednesday said its capacity will fall by 3 per cent in the second half of the year and by up to 5 per cent next year.

Full Story

https://www.smh.com.au/business/comp...26-p544eh.html

[Ash W]

Of all airlines in Australia I would have though Tigerair would be the least impacted by this virus being mostly target to internal travel.

[Greg Hyde]

From VA website

Tigerair Australia will temporarily suspend the following services between 01 April and 30 June 2020:

• Brisbane - Cairns
• Brisbane - Canberra
• Melbourne - Perth
• Melbourne - Hobart

As a result of the scheduled removal of six Airbus A320 aircraft in the period, Tigerair Australia will also bring forward previously announced network changes which include the exit of the following domestic routes. The following routes will now cease to operate on 01 April 2020:

• Melbourne - Coffs Harbour
• Sydney - Coffs Harbour
• Adelaide - Sydney
• Sydney - Cairns
• Hobart - Gold Coast

As a result of the reduction in demand and a further network review, Tigerair Australia will also cease flying between Sydney and Perth from 01 April 2020.

[David C]

Tigerair have suspended all flights . There are no Tigerair flights operating at all presently . It’s my opinion that they will not come back from this and sadly are now another of the airlines we used to have . I feel for the staff and families .
Dave C

[Max C]

The 737’s will be back crewed by VA pilots and TT cabin crew.

[Brian Wilkes]

No I think so! There all but gone when this is over...........

[Yusef D]

If VA survives this, the low cost brand will too. It will be flown by pilots from the VAA 737 pool, which reduces a lot of duplicated structures and personnel, on the VAA AOC. That way even TT cabin crew can join VAA courses. Same crewing, maintenance etc. This was probably on the company's wishlist in the beforetimes.

Similarly, IF VA resume short haul international it will be Aus based VAA crews.

[MarkR]

Yep, that will be the case, especially as the pilots have been let go permanently.

[Greg Hyde]

Virgin makes all Tigerair pilots redundant, and 1,000 staff

The Virgin Australia Group will make 1,000 of its 8,000 stood down employees permanently redundant, including all 220 Tigerair pilots.

Chief executive Paul Scurrah made the initial announcement on the ABC on Thursday morning, before the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) confirmed the Tigerair news hours later.

It comes after the business announced on Wednesday it was to temporarily suspend 80 per cent of its staff and would increase domestic capacity reductions from 50 to 90 per cent.

AFAP industrial officer James Lauchland told The Sydney Morning Herald, “It is disappointing that while Virgin is trying to reassure the travelling public that it will maintain a low-cost carrier, it is dismissing all of Tigerair’s pilots at the same time.”

https://australianaviation.com.au/20...ade-redundant/