Australia may extend Tiger Airways grounding

Aviation regulators were discussing Sunday whether to seek court approval to extend the grounding of Tiger Airways Australia, as the airline vowed to fix its problems and get back in the air.

Australia\'s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on Saturday suspended all the budget carrier\'s domestic services as they posed a "serious and imminent risk to air safety".

The decision -- the first grounding of an entire fleet in Australian aviation history -- followed a series of incidents that raised questions about its airworthiness.

The final straw came when a flight approached a Melbourne airport too low late Thursday -- the second such breach in a month.

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson told AFP a meeting was scheduled with Tiger executives early this week, and much depended on what they brought to the table.

"We have a team of people working through the day on various issues and we are due to meet with Tiger in the near future. A lot will on hinge on those discussions," he said.

"The process is that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority can only ground an airline for five working days. To go any longer than that, we must approach the Federal Court, and put a case for extending the grounding.

"We\'re looking at that issue right now."

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association said the low-cost carrier was likely to remain grounded for "weeks".

"They have quite a way to go before they can satisfy the regulator that their aircraft are going to be in a fit state to fly," said association chief Steve Purvinas.

A subsidiary of Singapore\'s Tiger Airways, Tiger Australia operates about 60 domestic flights a day, moving up to 9,000 passengers.

Australian authorities have been closely monitoring the airline and issued a "show cause" notice in March threatening to vary, suspend or cancel its licence over safety worries.

It was ordered to improve the proficiency of its pilots, boost pilot training and checking procedures, address fatigue management issues and ensure "appropriately qualified people fill management and operational positions".

Tiger said it was cooperating with CASA and committed to a long-term future.

"The week ahead will be a busy one as we continue to work with CASA to reassure them, resolve the concerns they have raised and aim to resume our services as quickly as possible," it said.

"The Tiger Airways Australian team and its parent company are absolutely committed to the airline\'s long-term future in Australia.

"The airline has made a significant contribution to the domestic aviation market over the last four years, reducing air fares by 15 percent or more and thereby allowing more Australians to fly.

"This positive outcome has not come at the expense of safety and Tiger Airway\'s operational safety will never be compromised."

Nevertheless, Australian and International Pilots Association vice president Richard Woodward said it would be an uphill battle to win back public confidence.

"There\'s no doubt there will be brand damage just by being grounded by the civil authority," he told reporters.

"With a strong parent company behind them in Singapore, I don\'t think the initial loss of cash flow will be a problem. But it\'s whether they will have the will to reinvigorate the airline."

The grounding comes at the beginning of the busy Australian school holiday period, throwing travel plans into chaos.

Budget rivals Jetstar and Virgin are both laying on extra flights to help stranded passengers while Qantas engineers called off strike action this week at the request of the government.