Well, Tiger's closed down the Phlippines and Indonesia operations a few years ago and the Tiger brand at home has Scooted off. So there's not sentimentality in the SQ Group around the Tiger brand.
Its more about saving face. There is a certain level of humiliation that our Singaporean neighbours wouldn’t want to endure in conceding defeat to Qantas and Co.
It’s a long story with a complicated history. You then have the Ryanair mob who had a large interest in the Aussie operation and kept toying with it. Singapore was just along for the ride back in 07, it was Declan Ryan and Tony that wanted the operation here. Then Singapore were left to pick up the pieces.
There was three carnations of Tiger. Mark 1 was the RyanAir show with Tony and co. Then you’ve got round 2 with Andrew and Singapore. Now it’s round 3 with the Virginisation of Tiger.
Sadly Mark 1 was probably more successful than today’s Tiger.