Tiger Airways, the proposed discount carrier 49 per cent owned by Singapore Airlines expects to be profitable in its first year of operations, interim chief executive Charlie Clifton said

Business Asia, Dec, 2003

Tiger Airways, the proposed discount carrier 49 per cent owned by Singapore Airlines expects to be profitable in its first year of operations, interim chief executive Charlie Clifton said. "We've got to set a tough target," said Clifton, former ground operations director of Ryanair Holdings. "There's no reason to set an easy target because that means you're accepting higher costs." Tiger Airways will be targeting similar profit margins to Ryanair, Europe's No.2 discount carrier, Clifton said in Singapore.

Singapore Air is starting its low-cost unit in response to intensifying airline competition in South-East Asia. Malaysia's sole no-frills carrier, AirAsia, is considering operating to the island state, and another Singapore-based discount carrier, Valuair, plans to start operations in 2004.