Low-cost carrier Tiger Airways has chosen Avalon Airport in Melbourne as its third Australian base.

The Singapore-based airline, which has a fully-owned Australian subsidiary that operates on domestic routes, says that it will base two Airbus A320 aircraft at Avalon from later this year. Tiger's two existing bases in Australia are Melbourne's main Tullamarine Airport and Adelaide Airport.

"The new base at Avalon Airport will complement existing services at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport and allow Tiger Airways to further increase its fleet in Australia. The two new A320 aircraft which will be based at Avalon Airport will increase the number of Tiger Airways aircraft in Australia to 11," says the carrier.

The airline did not say when it plans to start services out of Avalon or reveal the destinations it plans to serve.

Tiger will go head-on against Qantas' low-cost carrier Jetstar, which operates flights to Sydney and Brisbane out of Avalon.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news