UK. Bristol Airport is inviting tenders to run two existing executive lounges in its terminal building. The contract term will be for five years, commencing March 2023.
The spaces are located on the upper level of the departure lounge of the UK’s ninth-largest airport, which claims to be the country’s fastest recovering gateway with passenger volumes exceeding 90% of 2019 levels in H2 to date.
The two spaces are 330sq m and 150 sqm, both with views of the West country landscape, and are currently operated by Swissport under the Aspire brand. In their existing configurations, they offer 110 and 44 covers respectively.
Bristol Airport Head of Commercial Tom Hack told The Moodie Davitt Report that demand for the lounges has grown significantly in the post-COVID landscape. He said more airside lounge spaces are expected to be added in the coming years, with more imminent opportunities upcoming in both retail and food & beverage.
Hack said: “Our outlook for the next few years is extremely positive with airlines seeking to add capacity and demand for travel from the region increasing. BRS has increased its catchment area and we are the airport of choice for the Southwest of England and Wales.
“We have worked in partnership with our commercial partners throughout the pandemic to ensure we had a long-term view for recovery and that we could emerge from COVID stronger than before.”
He added: “This strategy is proving very successful as our partners are putting their trust in us and have been overt in their confidence of the strength of Bristol Airport by renewing contracts and investing millions of pounds in delivering improvements to retail and catering facilities.”
Hack revealed that the airport is exploring two options for the lounge tenders, seeking bids for both a concession model and potentially a management contract.
He told us: “With option two we are assessing whether it is better commercially and for the product to work more in partnership with an operator but under an airport-created brand and design, paying a management fee to an experienced operator.
“For both options, we want to showcase the best of West country hospitality with a high-end lounge design, creating a comfortable oasis of calm accessible to all passengers, regardless of their airline.
“We are keen to extend the airport’s ambitions to enhance our sustainable operations and would encourage our commercial partners to consider this in their bids. Where feasible, the inclusion of locally sourced materials and food and drink products would be very welcome.”
Interested parties should register their interest via the tender platform here. Further information can also be obtained from the Commercial Department at commercialtenders@bristolairport.com.
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