Lukas M
22nd July 2008, 08:48 AM
Qantas fired its staff, now Tiger hires them
TIMING is everything, so says the new managing director of Tiger Airways Australia, Shelly Roberts.
Two days after Qantas moved to slash 1500 (http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,24039084-5014090,00.html) staff from its workforce, Tiger began recruiting to prepare for its Australian expansion.
The ultra-budget carrier has three new aircraft arriving before Christmas, an expansion that requires an additional 120 employees.
Ms Roberts said the Qantas layoffs could give Tiger a deep talent pool to draw from.
But she would not say just how much record jet fuel prices – which are hurting rivals Qantas and Virgin Blue – were affecting Tiger's bottom line.
"We are very religious about our cost base, so we are reviewing it all the time to see if there are any unnecessary costs, which still allows us to offer low fares," she said. "We've taken the necessary steps that we need to take (to absorb high fuel costs)."
Tiger Airways hit Australian skies with four aircraft last November, and despite bearish sentiment toward the aviation industry, maintains its bold claims of flying more than 30 planes locally by 2016.
It will reveal its new destinations soon, with the possible addition of long-awaited Sydney-Melbourne flights.
Meanwhile, UBS analysts now predict domestic aviation capacity growth will only be 4 per cent this financial year, having forecast 12 per cent growth well before jet fuel shot to record highs above $US175 a barrel.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,24058264-5014090,00.html
Well with Shelly on board, you would think Sydney would become more significant now. Then open a Brisbane Hub and you have the golden triangle!
TIMING is everything, so says the new managing director of Tiger Airways Australia, Shelly Roberts.
Two days after Qantas moved to slash 1500 (http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,24039084-5014090,00.html) staff from its workforce, Tiger began recruiting to prepare for its Australian expansion.
The ultra-budget carrier has three new aircraft arriving before Christmas, an expansion that requires an additional 120 employees.
Ms Roberts said the Qantas layoffs could give Tiger a deep talent pool to draw from.
But she would not say just how much record jet fuel prices – which are hurting rivals Qantas and Virgin Blue – were affecting Tiger's bottom line.
"We are very religious about our cost base, so we are reviewing it all the time to see if there are any unnecessary costs, which still allows us to offer low fares," she said. "We've taken the necessary steps that we need to take (to absorb high fuel costs)."
Tiger Airways hit Australian skies with four aircraft last November, and despite bearish sentiment toward the aviation industry, maintains its bold claims of flying more than 30 planes locally by 2016.
It will reveal its new destinations soon, with the possible addition of long-awaited Sydney-Melbourne flights.
Meanwhile, UBS analysts now predict domestic aviation capacity growth will only be 4 per cent this financial year, having forecast 12 per cent growth well before jet fuel shot to record highs above $US175 a barrel.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,24058264-5014090,00.html
Well with Shelly on board, you would think Sydney would become more significant now. Then open a Brisbane Hub and you have the golden triangle!