ABU DHABI. British American Tobacco (BAT) has partnered with Abu Dhabi Airports Company to open a Dunhill-branded Smoking Lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal 3.
The 100sq m unit lies on Level 1 of the terminal, which opened last year. It is the first in a new style of branded lounge to open at airports across the Middle East & Africa region for BAT, characterised by a distinctive burgundy colour to match the Dunhill identity.
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The new Smoking Lounge was developed around Dunhill’s distinctive burgundy colour, and features a retail sales point | |
BAT Head of Global Travel Retail, Africa Middle East Darren Eaton told The Moodie Report: “We opened a Lounge last year at Cape Town International Airport, which was very much focused behind Kent. But this is the first of a new style of Burgundy Lounge built around the Dunhill brand.
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“We classify airports based on their strategic importance, and the GCC is a key growth area for BAT“ |
Darren Eaton Head of GTR Africa Middle East British American Tobacco |
“We’re pleased to work with Abu Dhabi Airports Company on this project. They have a very clear strategy of creating a dedicated space for adult smokers, which is the primary aim of the Lounge.
“In terms of the design, we wanted to create a premium space, one that goes a step further than the “˜glass boxes’ one often sees in place for smokers at airports. And we have focused on ensuring good ventilation in that design.”
Eaton added: “It’s a service first and foremost. But it also plays a role in communicating Dunhill as a key brand for us, to reinforce the brand’s strength in the GCC. As part of that, in partnership with ADAC and DFS, we also installed a retail sales point in the Lounge.
“We want to work with retailers and airport authorities to improve the levels of penetration in duty free, and this can also play a part in raising those penetration levels and hopefully also increasing store footfall. There’s no reason why we can’t deepen that cooperation in future, by communicating with passengers about the offer in the store and ensuring smokers are aware of that offer.
“We were delighted when ADAC approached us with this opportunity. It’s positive. We now have a premium facility inside a premium new terminal.
“We classify airports based on their strategic importance, and the GCC is a key growth area for BAT. Abu Dhabi plays a strong role in that, so the solution is a good one in terms of the service it offers passengers, and also strategically for us as a brand owner.”
