Former Qantas chief pilot Chris Manning has been appointed as a safety adviser of Tiger Airways Australia. Photo: Tanya Lake

The Singapore-backed Tiger Airways Australia has appointed Qantas's former chief pilot as its head safety adviser in a move to get back into the air following its grounding over safety concerns.

But a rival move by Singapore Airlines -- Tiger's parent company's biggest shareholder -- to get its own discount airline flying has taken a significant step forward too, with the appointment of a new chief executive for its forthcoming no-frills subsidiary.

Tiger Australia has appointed Chris Manning, a 40-year veteran pilot who was Qantas's chief pilot and group general manager of flight operations, to apply "the highest levels of operational safety management across the company", the airline said.

Captain Manning is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a former President of the Australian and International Pilots Association.

His appointment "is another step towards reassuring the industry and the public that Tiger Airways is committed to a safe, viable, and long term future in Australia," said Tony Davis, Tiger's chief executive who has moved from Singapore to Melbourne to take action reassuring the Civil Aviation Safety Authority his airline is in a fit state to fly.

CASA grounded Tiger Airways Australia from July 1, and this week will obtain formal Federal Court approval for an extension of the grounding until August 1.

Tiger claims the grounding is costing the airline AU$1.5 million a week.