Better for Tiger Airways to bow out of Philippines?

BUDGET carrier Tiger Airways has finally come out to announce what many in the market had long suspected it would: that it was considering cutting its losses in the Philippines.

Last week, the budget carrier confirmed it was in the midst of negotiating a deal involving Tigerair Philippines, without revealing the interested party.

Tiger had invested US$2.5 million to acquire 40 per cent of Tigerair Philippines, which was previously the privately owned SEAir. Former group chief executive Tony Davis had decided to buy into the company in the belief that the move would help Tiger expand its paw-print across the vast island nation and beyond.

After building up Tigerair Philippines' fleet to five single-aisle aircraft, Tiger now appears to have decided that the as…