Tigerair tackles queues with online check-in as Brisbane and Sydney flights to Adelaide take off

TIGERAIR has launched online check-in across its network, becoming the last major Australian domestic carrier to offer the service.

Tigerair Australia chief executive Rob Sharp in Brisbane. Picture: Stephen Cameron

TIGERAIR has launched online check-in across its network, becoming the last major Australian domestic carrier to offer the service.

The new service will for the first time allow the budget carrier’s customers to bypass long check-in queues, addressing one of the key service complaints about the airline.

“This is a significant milestone for our airline, which is embarking on its future Australian expansion,” Tigerair Australia CEO Rob Sharp said.

The airline today launched new Brisbane-Adelaide and Sydney-Adelaide services, first announced in December.

Tigerair said it would also expand its partnership with BAE Systems to undertake line maintenance on its aircraft, creating an additional 40 new jobs in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

“When the airline rebranded in July last year, we promised more choice for consumers,” Mr Sharp said.

“Today is the start of delivering on this commitment.

“We are putting the customer and what they want at the forefront of our business.”

The new services and the maintenance agreement coincide with the launch today of Tigerair’s new Brisbane airport base, which will be home to two A320 aircraft and create 200 new jobs.

It is the first phase of an expansion that will see the low-cost carrier double its fleet to at least 22 aircraft by 2018.

Mr Sharp said budget travel options at Brisbane had lagged behind other major airports.

He said historically budget travel accounted for 19 per cent of overall Brisbane Airport capacity, compared with 33 per cent in Melbourne and 26 per cent in Sydney.

The new Brisbane-Adelaide and Sydney-Adelaide services come ahead of the launch of three new routes in April, when Tigerair will begin flying between Sydney-Whitsunday Coast, Brisbane-Cairns and Brisbane-Darwin.

It is also upgrading some existing services.

Tigerair said that on an annual basis, the additional flights would deliver more than 800,000 new seats around Australia.

Today’s announcements are part of efforts by the airline, which in 2011 was grounded by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for a number of breaches, to rebuild its reputation and become a major player in Australia’s skies.