The recent grounding of Tiger Airways flights has given a boost to Qantas and Jetstar passenger numbers.

The Australian flag carrier announced this week that the number of passengers flying onboard its aircraft had spiked by 6.2 per cent in July, which analysts attribute to the grounding of Tiger Airways due to safety concerns halfway through the month.

Jetstar reported a much larger spike at 21.2 per cent, whilst its load factor on domestic services reached 84.5 per cent, a 3.7 per cent rise from the previous month. All this came despite a capacity rise of 21.5 per cent. Meanwhile, Qantas’ domestic routes only saw a rise of one per cent as its revenue seat factor dipped to 82 per cent, a 1.1-point drop.

The news comes as Qantas begins its restructuring plans including a massive overhaul on part of its fleet; all of its Boeing 747 aircraft are set to be refitted with cabin amenities on par with the new Airbus A380 aircraft. Each of the nine jets will be sent to the Avalon airport maintenance hub, where they will receive new Panasonic in-flight entertainment devices, galleys, fittings and fresh seats.

The restructuring efforts will also see four of the carrier’s Boeing 747s retired, whilst some of its orders for Airbus A380s will be deferred. The first of the newly outfitted Boeing jets will begin service the Brisbane to Los Angeles route late next month, with others heading into service in 2012.