Scoot Airlines would Acquire Tigerair

Singapore, June 15: Come July 25, the Singapore-based low-cost airline Scoot is set to become bigger with the completion of its integration with Tigerair, said Budget Aviation Holdings, part of the Singapore Airlines, on Thursday.

In a statement issued here, Budget Aviation said the two airlines aim to complete their integration and operate all flights under the Scoot brand, subject to final regulatory approval.

"With this final milestone in the integration process, the airlines will begin operating under a common license or Air Operator Certificate. Consequently, the flight designator code for Scoot flights will be changed from the current TZ to TR, the code currently used for Tigerair flights. All flight schedules remain unchanged," the statement said.

Scoot website will be the sole booking platform for all flights currently operated by Scoot and Tigerair, while the Scoot call center will service bookings from both airlines, the statement said.

The existing Scoot-Tigerair check-in counters will also reflect a single Scoot brand and the Scoot crew will sport a new uniform.

These latest developments will wrap up the integration efforts of Scoot and Tigerair since May 2016, when they were brought under a common holding company, Budget Aviation Holdings.

"The Scoot brand, known for its cheeky and fun vibe as well as innovative products, is well-loved by travelers around the world. We are looking forward to taking the brand further and offering guests a seamless travel experience throughout Scoot's expanded network, with the completion of our integration into a single airline," Budget Aviation Holdings CEO Lee Lik Hsin was quoted as saying in the statement.

The integrated Scoot fleet will consist of Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320-family aircraft.

Currently, destinations such as Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei will continue to be operated on both B787 and A320 aircraft.

The aircraft type operated for each flight will be indicated during the online flight selection and booking process. As part of the integration, the Airbus A320-family aircraft currently operated by Tigerair will also be dressed in Scoot's livery, reflecting the Scoot name and signature bright yellow curves.

The repainting will be carried out progressively and is expected to be completed by mid-2018.

All Scoot and Tigerair guests with existing flight bookings scheduled on July 25 or later will be contacted via e-mail from June 15 to July 23.