Tiger back in the air, but will the pax return?

CASA has lifted the suspension of Tiger Airways from Wednesday 10 August 2011, enabling the budget carrier to return to the Australian skies.

However, as a result of the CASA investigation a new set of conditions has been imposed on the airline's AOC.

CASA says, "These conditions address key areas of operational importance within Tiger Airways and will underpin ongoing improvements in the airline's safety performance. To continue to operate Tiger must comply with the conditions while they are in place."

Areas the conditions cover include pilot training and proficiency, pilot rostering and fatigue management, currency and revision of operational manuals and related documents, improved change-management processes and the appointment of additional  qualified personnel in key positions, and amendments to the airline's safety management system

CASA sais that the airline "was required to demonstrate it had complied with the necessary safety requirements before it was permitted to resume operations".

These requirements included additional simulator and ground training for Tiger's pilots.

The number of sectors Tiger Airways may fly is initially limited to a maximum of 18 a day during August 2011. Increased operations after August will be subject to CASA approval.

CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick, said Tiger had demonstrated to CASA it can comply with the conditions on its air operator's
certificate and meet the necessary safety requirements.

"On that basis, CASA now believes allowing Tiger Airways Australia to resume operations is acceptable," McCormick said.

"Tiger Airways has co-operated with CASA's investigation and is to be credited for a constructive approach.

"CASA will be closely monitoring the operations of Tiger Airways through scheduled surveillance and regular spot checks. We will also be meeting
regularly with the airline to review ongoing safety performance and compliance with the conditions on the airline's operations."

That's all good news, but Tiger now has something of a marketing challenge to overcome not only safety perceptions but also the less than constructive way that it handled things when first grounded.

Maybe price will once again win out, but it's by no means certain that the airline will quickly recover the level of patronage of the Australian travelling public that it enjoyed prior to the suspension.