Tiger Airways, Singapore’s fast growing low-fare carrier, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an additional 30 Airbus A320s and 20 options. Tiger Airways currently operates a fleet of nine A320s, with 11 more to be delivered by 2010. With the latest order, Tiger Airways‘ fleet has the ability to grow to 70 Airbus aircraft. The MoU was signed at the 47th International Paris Air Show.
The A320s will be deployed on the airline’s regional network in South East Asia that currently extends to 15 cities in seven countries, and will include its new operations within Australia starting later in 2007. Tiger Airways‘ A320s will be configured in a 180-seat, all-economy configuration. No engine choice has been made.
The latest A320 order by Tiger Airways serves to highlight the outstanding popularity that the A320 Family has enjoyed with both established and start up low-cost carriers in the Asia Pacific region over the past few years. Low-cost carriers in Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore have ordered more than 300 A320 Family aircraft during the past three years. Almost 560 A320 Family aircraft are already in service with more than 40 airlines across the region.
„Tiger Airways is enjoying impressive growth, and we are expanding our aircraft fleet to meet continued strong demand for affordable air travel across the Asia Pacific region. The new order will take our total fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft to 70, making Tiger Airways one of the region’s largest A320 operators,“ said Tony Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Tiger Airways.
„In just two years, Tiger Airways has developed into a formidable success story, and we are delighted they did it with our aircraft and are continuing to expand with Airbus jetliners. The A320 is undoubtedly the world’s favourite single-aisle aircraft, offering superb economics and high passenger appeal,“ said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers.
The A320 Family’s optimised cabin cross-section – the widest single-aisle fuselage on the market – sets new standards for passenger cabin flexibility in this segment. It allows for top-of-the-range comfort with wider seats and aisles, or an extra-wide aisle for the fast turnarounds that are essential in the low-cost markets. Furthermore, the superior cabin size and shape allow larger overhead stowage to be fitted for faster boarding and deplaning as well as greater convenience.
With around 1,600 sales in the last two years alone, the A320 Family is also the fastest-selling jet airliner of all time. The A320 Family includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321. So far, more than 5,100 have been ordered.
