The ban on Tiger Airways Australia's domestic operations is likely to continue until August 1, 2011. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) needs more time to complete its investigation to determine the carrier's airworthiness and is seeking an extension with the country's Federal Court.
If CASA finishes before that date and is satisfied Tiger Airways no longer poses "a serious and imminent risk to air safety", then it may be possible to start up earlier.
The low-cost airline had its wings clipped by air safety officials on July 1 due to a build up of incidents that led to concerns about airworthiness.
A statement from the beleagered carrier's management said it will "not oppose the period of extension".
Following a commitment to resume services as quickly as possible, Tiger Airways will refund fares to those passengers holding reservations between now and July 31.
Customers can request their refunds through www.tigerairways.com or by contacting the call centre +61 3 9999 2888 (delays expected). It has also stressed that flights to and from Singapore are not affected by this development.
Margie T Logarta
