Tiger Airways became friendlier and simple with its new logo unveiled in Melbourne early Wednesday morning in Melbourne. The new logo spelled out the airline's new name - Tigerair - in grey letters with some parts highlighted in orange.

The new logo, according to the airline, is a "distinctive and contemporary new logo ... embodying the key elements of Tigerair's personality: warm, passionate and genuine."

In the press conference held on Wednesday morning, Chief Executive Officer Rob Sharp said that "Today's news is much more than just a fresh coat of paint and a new logo - it is the start of the revival of our airline here in Australia and should be seen as reinforcement of our commitment towards continuous innovation and improvement."

In a very positive mood, Mr Sharp looked back, saying, "We have come a long way over the past two years ... however we have a long way to go. Our two key priorities now are to create a stronger operating platform that can deliver growth and to build a sustainable business that brings greater competition to the Australian budget carrier market."

"The strategic repositioning of the brand will assist us through a significant period of growth over the coming years ... we mean business and we are ready for change."

"We are a real airline for real people but we do need to understand that we need to put the customer at the forefront of our approach to ensure they choose to fly Tigerair."

In as much as Mr Sharp was excited to announce the changes that came with the new name and logo, he humbly acknowledged that it will still be a challenge for the airline to win back those customers who have experienced delayed flights and poor customer service.

"I think when you change a brand it is something you don't flick just flick a switch and all of a sudden you are a new airline. We are very aware that it is a journey. This is just the beginning."

Nevertheless, Mr Sharp emphasised the positivity of the change, "Certainly the safety issues are a thing of the past and we have a number of process that have been put in place but there is a market that we need to bring along for the journey. Part of today is making the statement."

Tiger Airways change of name to Tigerairs will come with exciting changes for travelers that include a revamped Web site that went live on Wednesday, July 3. There will also be new customer products to be introduced in the coming months.

The change also signaled the airline's joint venture with Virgin, under which Virgin will take a 60 per cent stake in Tigerairs' Australian operation. The airlines admitted that the operation in Australia would have been closed without the joint venture with Virgin Asutralia.

Mr Sharp ended on a positive note, saying, "Tigerair is already heading in the right direction - we've come a long way over the past two years. Those that try us do return and recognise we provide the ability to travel whenever you choose, regardless of budget."