Tiger Airways to receive S$4.7mln from Swissport

Resulting from a breach of contract claim against Swissport Singapore Pte Ltd, Tiger Airways Singapore has been awarded S$4.7 million in damages.

The above figure is the full amount claimed by the airline for damages incurred as a result of Swissport's premature termination of its ground handling agreement with Tiger Airways.

According to the airline, Swissport had in January 2009 given Tiger Airways notice that it was unilaterally terminating its ground handling service agreement with effect from 1 April 2009, about two years earlier than the stated expiration date of the agreement. As grounds for this early termination, Swissport had sought to rely on the voluntary termination of its licence to operate at Changi Airport granted by CAAS.

Tiger Airways then commenced legal action against Swissport for breach of contract, with the High Court of Singapore eventually ruling in favour of Tiger Airways. A subsequent action by Swissport for leave to appeal the High Court's decision was dismissed by the Singapore Court of Appeal.