MATT O'SULLIVAN, from SMH
THE parent of the Australian low-cost airline Tiger Airways lost about $S28 million ($22 million) for the year to March, a sharp reversal on the previous 12 months, when it posted a $S10 million profit.
The result for the Singapore Airlines-backed Tiger Aviation indicates its Australian operations are still suffering large losses as it tries to establish a position in the domestic aviation market.
Tiger Aviation is the parent of Singapore's Tiger Airways and Tiger Airways Australia.
The privately owned airline is yet to lodge its annual accounts with Singaporean regulators but it has emerged that Singapore Airlines' share of Tiger's cumulative losses increased by $S14 million, or 44 per cent, to $S45 million for the year to March 31. Given it owns 49 per cent of the low-cost airline, Tiger lost an estimated $S28.4 million for the period.
Yesterday Singapore Airlines dismissed speculation that it had injected more capital into Tiger Aviation. But the biggest shareholder said it had stopped accounting for its share of further red ink at Tiger after accumulated losses exceeded its cash contribution of $S39.2 million.
Tiger Airways Australia did not respond to questions yesterday about its performance, saying only that it would be ''announcing our results shortly''.
The parent's Singapore-based chief executive, Tony Davis, has been upbeat about the airline's performance in Australia, but recently conceded it was still losing money. Tiger's only operation outside Singapore is in Australia.
In February Tiger, Australia's fourth-biggest airline brand, belatedly released its accounts for the year to March 31, 2008, which showed it ran up losses of $20 million. The figure included $7.9 million in start-up costs in Australia.
Tiger has recently shifted in its focus towards high-traffic routes, after a strategy of stimulating regional routes when it launched in Australia two years ago.
In July it signalled its intention to challenge Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue when it began services on the country's busiest route, between Sydney and Melbourne. Since then it has announced services between Sydney and the Gold Coast - the fifth busiest route in Australia - and Melbourne and Brisbane.
However, industry insiders have been sceptical of Tiger's ability to service 18 routes in Australia with just seven Airbus A320 aircraft. An eighth is not due until early next year.
Tiger Aviation's other main shareholders are the private equity firm Indigo Partners and the Ryan family of Ireland, responsible for setting up Europe's largest airline, Ryanair.