Tiger cuts Darwin Services

[Kieran Wells]

From: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/s...005962,00.html

BUDGET airline Tiger Airways has axed its services to Darwin from Melbourne and Singapore, blaming high fuel and operating costs in Darwin for the decision.

Services to Darwin will be suspended from October 26, Tiger chief operating officer Steve Burns said.

The costs of flying to Darwin were the highest of all the airports the airline served, he said.

"This is an important point to stress: combined airport and fuel costs in Darwin cost more than any of the 27 airports that the airline serves across Australia and Asia. It is just incompatible for a true low-fare airline to operate to such a high-cost destination," he said.

The airline might re-establish services to Darwin "if costs become more reasonable", he said.

Flights booked prior to October 26 will go ahead.

No Australian domestic flights have been booked to Darwin beyond that date.

Tiger will offer a full refund to international passengers booked after October 26.

[Montague S]

Tiger has two flights a day ex Perth for Singapore, I booked for their afternoon flight this January and within 5 days they emailed me and said the flight had been changed, gave me the craps because I booked it so I could connect with a BA flight to Europe.

but what I really want to know is how they can predict so far in advance that the afternoon flight won't sell?

[Rhys Xanthis]

I didnt know they cancelled the 2 x daily SIN from Perth, thanks for posting that Montague.

I think they are struglling with high fuel alot more than they are letting on...JQ is going to really start getting to them with their already established network...im personally not holding out much hope for TR's future..

[Daniel M]

Darwin flghts will be back by April or May next year, in time for the dry season...they are just using high fuel and operating costs as an excuse to cut the services during a period where they would see a fair decline in pax numbers, due to the wet season...pretty poor effort...virgin also are cutting services to DRW from MEL this month, but they are admitted its because of smaller loads over the wet season...good work tiger, I bet Jetstar are stoked to have a nice monopoly for the next 6 months or so

[Lukas M]

PPrune stated somewhere about Tiger Aviation losing $1million a week. Could this be right?

[Daniel M]

Originally Posted by Lukas M

PPrune stated somewhere about Tiger Aviation losing $1million a week. Could this be right?

Professional Pilots Rumour Network

[Bruce Bramwell]

Originally Posted by Lukas M

PPrune stated somewhere about Tiger Aviation losing $1million a week. Could this be right?

Dont believe anything off pprune. Well we all know TR - Australia are making money

[Lukas M]

Originally Posted by Bruce Bramwell

Dont believe anything off pprune. Well we all know TR - Australia are making money

But would you think TR- Singapore are making Money? Most TR routes are around the 4/5 hour mark

[Kieran Wells]

I should have mentioned earlier this morning when i did the original post, that i find it funny that Tiger are cutting services. It was only last week, i think, that i heard Tigers female chief exec(don't know her name), trumpeting that Tiger were the only airline in Australia, making money, not feeling the pinch of high oil prices and expanding services at the same time...

Now to see them cut Darwin, and services in Perth makes me wonder if she was telling the FULL story...

[Brenden S]

Darwin is the most expensive capital in Australia.