Tigerair Taiwan yesterday said it aims to further explore business opportunities generated by transit passengers and solidify its brand as a quality low-cost carrier through upgraded services this year.
The nation’s first and only budget airline announced its operational goals at a media luncheon after its board last month approved the airline management’s plan to expand its fleet, including buying four new Airbus A321neo aircraft and leasing 11 more. The board also granted the airline’s management an option to buy four more aircraft, depending on market demand.
The airline would have more than 30 aircraft in its fleet within 10 years, including at least 15 A320neo and 15 A321neo aircraft, it said.
Photo: Wang Yi-hung, Taipei Times
By 2028, the average service years of the aircraft in Tigerair Taiwan’s fleet would be 3.1 years, Tigerair Taiwan chairwoman Joyce Huang (黃世惠) said in her presentation.
An A321neo aircraft can accommodate 233 passengers, up from 180 on an A320neo aircraft, Huang said, adding that it would reduce the average operational cost per seat by 11.2 percent.
Asked whether the airline plans to launch services to new destinations, Huang said that its operational strategies this year would be to increase the number of profitable short-haul flights, such as those to Ishigaki and Okinawa in Japan, as well as transit passengers.
“We can use Taipei as a hub, where a Japanese traveler from Sendai can transfer to Ishigaki Island. Many Southeast Asian tourists want to travel to Tottori and Oita prefectures, while Japanese from second-tier cities might want to board Tigerair Taiwan and travel to Southeast Asian countries. They can all transit through Taipei,” she said.
The airline would not rashly launch potentially unprofitable flights to improve connectivity, Huang said.
“We might not have a competitive edge if we launch new flights to Southeast Asia given our limited fleet and the intense price competition among budget airlines in Southeast Asia,” she said.
The increase in flight capacity and efficiency would not only help bring more tourists to Taiwan, but also service more transit passengers to Japan and Southeast Asia, she said.
The airline has also seen an increase in Japanese passengers arriving in Taiwan via its flights, with Japanese accounting for 20 to 50 percent of passengers per flight, Huang said.
Significant increases are in flights arriving from Oita, Tottori and Niigata prefectures, she added.
Huang also said that the airline plans to roll out a series of new services this year.
In the first quarter, the airline is to launch a membership subscription program called “Team Tiger,” designed specifically for its fans.
Depending on the member’s travel frequency — quarterly, bimonthly or monthly — members can pay on a monthly basis for a chance to enjoy free round-trip tickets.
Different subscription tiers would include priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage handling.
In the second quarter, Tigerair Taiwan is to introduce “tigertel,” a service that combines artificial intelligence-powered travel planning to create personalized packages including flights, accommodation and full travel itineraries tailored to each traveler, Huang said.
Starting in the third quarter, travelers would be able to book connecting flights in a single transaction, extending destinations to a second city in Japan or even Australia, making it easier for Tigerair customers to explore new locations.
Meanwhile, the airline said it is expanding self-service check-in options at multiple domestic and international airports, allowing passengers to retrieve electronic boarding passes online at any time, significantly reducing wait times at the airport.
For in-flight dining, Tigerair Taiwan would collaborate with several well-known brands to offer a more premium and enjoyable meal experience onboard.
During the second quarter, a brand-new in-flight entertainment system would be launched, allowing passengers to connect their personal mobile devices to the system, and access a wide variety of on-demand video and audio content.
The system would also allow travelers to purchase duty-free items and in-flight meals.
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