HONG KONG, CHINA. Airport Dimensions, SSP and Travel Food Services (TFS) have struck a joint-venture agreement to develop and manage an exclusive flagship lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.
Named Kyra, the lounge will be located at the Terminal 1 Central Concourse and is set to open this summer. The contract was awarded following a tender.
The strategic partnership comprises three renowned airport hospitality specialists who will combine their expertise and capabilities to deliver a new lounge experience at the airport.
Airport Dimensions is an airport lounge and travel experiences company, which specialises in designing, developing and operating lounge and airport experiences.
Travel restaurateur SSP is an established travel retail brand with more than 60 years of experience in providing F&B offerings tailored to the unique environments of every location.
TFS is India’s premier travel F&B retail company. It currently operates over 350 F&B outlets across 19 cities in airports, railway stations and highway service areas, while also managing 27 international airport lounges.
Airport Dimensions President, EMEA & APAC Errol McGlothan said: “I’m delighted that by coming together as a partnership, we’ve been able to combine the expertise of three industry-leading businesses, and win the opportunity to develop this new highly sought-after space at Hong Kong International Airport.
“Our win demonstrates the power of our collective and shows what can be achieved when complementary businesses come together to focus their common energy on developing the very best solution for a discerning client.
“The win marks a significant step towards our growth in the region. We anticipate building on the continued success of our established partnership with HKIA, exemplified by the already operational Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club HKG.”
SSP Asia Pacific CEO Jonathan Robinson added: “Since our debut in Asia with our first food court opening in Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok in 1995, our presence has been growing steadily in this important region, and this latest development is a next step in our ambitious plans for expansion here.
“Our understanding of what travelling consumers want and how to deliver tailored food and beverage options that meet their needs is well established, and Airport Dimensions and TFS bring impressive complementary skills in other spheres. This new three-way partnership will mean we’re each greater than the sum of our parts, and will enable us to take the lounge customer experience to a new level here in Hong Kong.
“For more than two decades, our relationship with HKIA has been a happy one, and we’re inordinately proud to be able to add this new element to our portfolio of restaurants, bars and cafés in its impressive terminals.”
TFS Executive Director Varun Kapur said this new project will build on his company’s strong track record of food & beverage operations in the region. He added: “At TFS we strive to provide the highest-quality lounge experience for our guests based on certain core principles that transform how travellers perceive their journey.
“This ambition has underpinned our success, and we’re proud to say we’ve been at the forefront of driving developments that define the food & beverage and lounge experiences of travellers in the region. This uncompromising dedication to the ‘TFS approach’ has been recognised across the industry, and our lounges have been awarded many ‘best in world’ accolades.
“Our partnership with SSP dates back to 2017, and our understanding of the Asian food service market combined with SSP’s global experience has seen that partnership thrive. I am excited to leverage the strengths of this partnership as well as our collaboration with Airport Dimensions to create a world-class lounge product at HKIA.”
Airport Authority Hong Kong General Manager, Terminal Operations, Wing Yeung commented: “We welcome the new commercial lounge at HKIA jointly created by Airport Dimensions, SSP and Travel Food Services. The new lounge would provide another terminal lounge option to our passengers, enhancing the airport experience and satisfaction of our passengers from all over the world.”
Hong Kong International Airport registered more than 71 million passengers in 2019, connecting them with around 220 destinations worldwide by around 120 airlines.
The airport is currently embarking on an ambitious development programme to enhance its capacity and facilities. ✈
