Switzerland-based aviation services company Swissport has paired up with Perth Airport to open its first Aspire Lounge in Australia next year.
The new lounge will be at Perth Airport on level 3 of T1 International, where passengers can enjoy panoramic views of the airfield and the city skyline. This is also the airport’s former control centre and a part of the current observation deck. The new lounge will connect to the international departures area and will be situated close to boarding gates.
The 530-sqm lounge, which is slated to open in mid 2020, will be able to accommodate 140 guests.
Craig Shaw, vice president airport services of Swissport Australia and New Zealand, said that the lounge will offer “unique and exciting” food and drink options that will be adjusted seasonally, with small and local suppliers bringing a taste of Western Australia. The food offer will include a variety of vegetarian and vegan choices and will be available throughout the day.
Passengers will be able to access the new lounge on a pay-per-use basis. They can pre-book lounge tickets online for A$55 (US$38, not including GST) per visit for a three-hour stay. There will also be a range of loyalty or airline affiliations, which will be announced in early 2020. These will grant some passengers free access to the lounge.
Kevin Brown, CEO of Perth Airport, said that the new lounge is part of a wave of investment to take the airport into the future, providing the amenity and efficiency to deliver passengers a seamless, quality travel experience.
“These pay per use [sic] lounges are becoming more popular at international airports both interstate and around the world,” said Brown. “International travellers from Perth Airport have never had this option but the wait will be more than worth it. We believe this will be the best lounge of its type in Australia.”
He added: “The Aspire lounge will be another piece of the puzzle falling into place as we build an upgraded international terminal and bring all flight services into the T1 precinct by 2025.”
Currently, Swissport manages 40 lounges at more than 27 airports in 11 countries around the world under its hospitality brand Aspire Lounges, including Amsterdam, Calgary, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Johannesburg, London, Manchester, Montreal, Nairobi and Zurich.
In 2018, Aspire Airport Lounges launched its new loyalty scheme Aspire Rewards, which offers the choice of redeeming points against lounge visits or e-vouchers for select retail stores.
Swissport also operates lounges in Australia on behalf of airlines such as Qantas and Virgin Australia, for example, the Perth Airport T1 lounge for Virgin Australia.
