An airfoil for a gas turbine engine, comprising: a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall extending to a tip region of the airfoil ; a leading edge and a trailing edge defining a chord length (L) of the airfoil therebetween; a suction side squealer tip wall that extends axially along the suction sidewall of the airfoil at the tip region from the leading edge to the trailing edge ; a pressure side squealer tip wall that extends axially along the tip region from leading edge to trailing edge ; a squealer pocket formed within the tip region between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall , the squealer pocket defines a closed perimeter radial recess in the tip region between the pressure side squealer tip wall and suction side squealer tip wall as the pressure side squealer tip wall is of the same radial height from a bottom of the squealer pocket as the suction side squealer tip wall ; and a tip shelf formed along the tip region of the airfoil between the pressure sidewall and the pressure side squealer tip wall ; a tip shelf discourager that extends from the tip shelf ; wherein the tip shelf discourager extends radially up to the radial height of the pressure side squealer tip wall ; characterized in that the tip shelf discourager includes cooling apertures to permit cooling flow from tip shelf cooling holes to flow through the tip shelf discourager ; and wherein the tip shelf discourager extends for only a portion of a length of the tip shelf to form a discourager pocket along the pressure sidewall to maintain a region of cooling fluid along the pressure sidewall at the trailing edge . a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall extending to a tip region of the airfoil ; a leading edge and a trailing edge defining a chord length (L) of the airfoil therebetween; a suction side squealer tip wall that extends axially along the suction sidewall of the airfoil at the tip region from the leading edge to the trailing edge ; a pressure side squealer tip wall that extends axially along the tip region from leading edge to trailing edge ; a squealer pocket formed within the tip region between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall , the squealer pocket defines a closed perimeter radial recess in the tip region between the pressure side squealer tip wall and suction side squealer tip wall as the pressure side squealer tip wall is of the same radial height from a bottom of the squealer pocket as the suction side squealer tip wall ; and a tip shelf formed along the tip region of the airfoil between the pressure sidewall and the pressure side squealer tip wall ; a tip shelf discourager that extends from the tip shelf ; wherein the tip shelf discourager extends radially up to the radial height of the pressure side squealer tip wall ; characterized in that the tip shelf discourager includes cooling apertures to permit cooling flow from tip shelf cooling holes to flow through the tip shelf discourager ; and wherein the tip shelf discourager extends for only a portion of a length of the tip shelf to form a discourager pocket along the pressure sidewall to maintain a region of cooling fluid along the pressure sidewall at the trailing edge . <EOS>