Tigerair began life as Tiger Airways aiming to become Singapore’s version of Europe’s nastiest airline Ryanair. Tigerair launched its first Singapore service in 2004 and arrived in Australia in 2007. In both markets it became the ultimate airfares discounter. The company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 2010 with its largest shareholder being Singapore Airlines. Tigerair copies Ryanair’s formula of operating a single aircraft type, using the cheapest possible airport services and providing absolutely no free services at all. Like Ryanair, Tigerair uses its poor reputation and regular complaints as a publicity stunt to draw attention to its dirt cheap fares. They do not conceal the fact they pay their staff peanuts, offer appalling service and cancel flights with unsatisfactory warning or compensation. Like its Irish model Ryanair. Tigerair began as a challenge to Malaysia’s discounter AirAsia and rapidly spread throughout Southeast Asia establishing subsidaries in Indonesia, Phillipines as well as Australia. Their plans to expand into Korea and Thailand were shelved in the face of dismal financial results. Tigersir began serving Australian domestic passengers from Melbourne and rapidly expanded until the 2 July 2011 when Australian aviation authorities grounded Tiger Airways following repeated safety breaches. The airline risked losing its operators licence. In October 2012 Virgin Australia acquired 60% of Tiger's shares so they could create a two airline service copying that of Qantas/Jetstar. Virgin Australia will continue moving upmarket, leaving the dregs for Tigerair. In 2013 the airline attempted to distance itself from its own poor repuation by changing its name from Tiger Airways to Tigerair.