Tiger Airways new Sydney-Melbourne flights soon

The Singapore-based Tiger Airways will start four new flights between state capitals Sydney and Melbourne, from July 3, 2009.

The one-way fare for the four daily flights will be $68.

“Melbourne-Sydney is one of the most popular routes in both Australia and indeed the whole world,” said Tiger Airways Australia managing director Shelley Roberts.

“With Tiger Airways’ new flight route, more people than ever will be able to travel between the two destinations more often and for the first time at consistently low
fares,” she added.

“We have had such an overwhelming demand from passengers for this service, it is great that we are finally able to connect the two cities,” Roberts said.

Reports say that Tiger Airways was in talks to use the Sydney Airport terminal earlier, but did not take it further because of insufficient capacity at the airport and lack of sync with Tiger’s low-cost model.

However, with fewer flights, it is possible for Tiger to get capacity at the terminal. “The runways (at Sydney) are less congested now because there is less traffic,” Shelley Roberts said.

Tiger Airways discontinued its flights to Newcastle because of dipping demand, before it got access to Sydney Airport.

Tiger Airways offers prices that are more economical than Jetstar airways and Virgin Blue Airways.

”Clearly the consumers want the Tiger offering because we are clearly the market leaders when it comes to low fares. Now we are bringing that to the people of Sydney,” she added.

Virgin Blue has entered into a pact with Air Austral, a French airline that was planning to enter the Australian market in april 2009.

In the meantime, reports say that Qantas is partnering with Singapore’s Westbrook Investments to acquire Orangestar Investments, the holding company of budget carriers, Jetstar Asia and Valuair.

Gregory Hywood, Chief Executive, Tourism Victoria, said, “Tiger Airways new Sydney to Melbourne route and low cost fares, means more visitors will come to enjoy our great State of Victoria.”