Swissport and Airport Dimensions have entered a joint venture to acquire No1 Lounges.
The newly formed SwissportALD will manage nine lounges in the No1 portfolio at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Birmingham airports. The acquisition will also include the Clubrooms brand.
Airport Dimensions is a subsidiary of Collinson, which owns Priority Pass and 50 per cent of the Club Aspire lounges. The new venture will therefore allow members of Priority Pass to once again enjoy access to the No1 Lounges – Priority Pass had removed them from its network in October. Day passes will also continue to be available to travellers via the No1 website.
This news comes after Swissport’s acquisition of the Australian business of No1 Lounges, which includes facilities in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
John Upton, CEO of No1 Lounges, said:
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we welcome this transaction which enables us to strengthen and secure our business and carry on our mission to make it easier for our customers to eat, drink and relax in style before they fly. The new funding will enable us to further enhance No1’s lounging experience so that we continue to offer industry-leading innovation and choice for our customers. We can’t wait for travel to return and to reopen our business after such a disruptive year. We’re excited about the future and look forward to welcoming our customers back.”
Mignon Buckingham, CEO of Airport Dimensions, added:
“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to invest in the exciting No1 brand. The acquisition of No1 Lounges, (which closely follows the launch of our Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club brand in partnership with JPMorgan Chase) cements our position as a leading provider of premium airport lounges and experiences globally.”
Airport Dimensions recently partnered with the American investment bank and financial services firm JPMorgan Chase to develop the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club brand, “with locations to be announced in select markets over time”.
Buckingham added:
“Running alongside our Club Aspire offer, No1 Lounges will enable us to provide greater variety and a differentiated and unrivaled travel experience proposition for passengers and airports. No 1 Lounges, Airport Dimensions and Swissport are fully aligned in our commitment to offering a more unique, more personalized, and more enjoyable experience for travelers across the airport journey, giving them an alternative to other F&B options during their stay at the airport. This investment is just one of many Airport Dimensions continue to make to enhance the experience for the traveler, offering them choice and control whilst driving increased revenue performance for the airport.
Shaun Weston, Vice President Global Lounges at Swissport International, commented:
“Aspire’s global lounge hospitality business is award-winning, and we are delighted to be expanding it with nine additional lounges in the UK and three in Australia.
“We are constantly working to enhance our offering and provide a luxury alternative to other lounge and food and beverage options in airports. We are excited to see customers return to our airport lounges as global air travel recovers. We continue to further drive the global expansion of our successful lounge brands and are thrilled to complement them with the No1 Lounges guest offering.”
Priority Pass recently outlined plans to add over 150 new airport lounges to its programme by the end of the year, as well as 100 new “premium dining and relaxation experiences and railway and sea port lounges”.
