Tiger Airways Australia becomes cuddly Tigerair as the Virgin Australia partnership approaches

Tiger Airways Australia CEO Rob Sharp today, 3-Jul-2013, unveiled the rebranding of what had previously been a much less than warm and loving image in Australia's "purest" LCC model. The sometimes abrasive and unfriendly profile often shown - and even gloried in under Tiger Group CEO Tony Davis - had already softened since the airline returned to the skies after its 2011 grounding.

But now, in readiness for its future partnership with 60% owner Virgin Australia, that brand is to become a cuddly tigerair, "warm, passionate and genuine". The leaping tiger is no more.

A precursor to Virgin Australia's establishment of an across the board competitor for the Qantas-Jetstar (and regional) operating model, Tigerair needs to position as a real alternative to the more upmarket and near-seamless brand that Jetstar now occupies in the Qantas group. That allows easier connectivity between the brands. CEO Rob Sharp described the new style as "the start of our revival of our airline here in Australia". The rebranding also applies to the other Tiger entities.