Emirates’ luxurious First and Business Class Lounges at Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith International Airport and at Perth Airport were officially opened by top dignitaries in Australia.
The new Emirates Lounge in Sydney was inaugurated by Deputy Premier John Watkins MP, while the one in Perth was opened by Western Australia Tourism Minister Sheila McHale MLA. Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations East Asia and Australasia, represented the airline at both the openings along with management and staff in Australia.
Emirates has ensured that both lounges meet its high standards by investing approximately A$2.5 (Dhs.7 million or US$2 million) in designing and constructing the Emirates Lounge at Sydney and around A$2 million in building the one in Perth.
Both the lounges are modelled on Emirates’ multi-award winning First and Business Class Lounges in Dubai, embodying the airline’s dedication to providing its passengers superior service and quality.
In Sydney, the Emirates Lounge is 880m2 in size and caters for 160 guests, making it the largest dedicated passenger lounge facility in Australia. It also features a business centre with eight individual work stations as well as an extensive menu, featuring hot and cold dishes prepared by an on-site chef, as well as fine beverages.
The Emirates Lounge at Perth Airport features 585m2 of space and is designed to accommodate 106 guests, with a business centre housing 12 individual work-stations and a dining room.
Both lounges are havens of luxury and comfort, featuring marble imported from Italy, high-quality leather sourced from Scotland, gold-plated Rolex wall clocks from Geneva, plasma screens and designer bathrooms as well as showers. Passengers can access wireless LAN facilities while in the lounges, which also offer hearing loops for the hearing-impaired and custom-made Braille/tactile signage for the sight-impaired.
The lounge facilities are available to Emirates’ First and Business Class passengers as well as Gold members of Skywards, the frequent flyer program for Emirates and SriLankan Airlines.
Both lounges were designed and constructed by the Sydney-based SmithMadden Group and designed to first-class specifications from Emirates.
In May 2004, Emirates committed more than US$13.6 million to develop top-notch lounges around the world. Australia has been key in this roll-out, with Brisbane being the first-ever on Emirates’ network to feature an Emirates Lounge. Since then the airline has inaugurated such facilities for its passengers in Auckland, New York, London Gatwick and Paris, with more currently being developed across the network.
The Emirates Lounge in Sydney will provide a luxurious sanctuary for the airline’s passengers who currently travel to and from New South Wales, reinforcing its commitment to the entire Australasian market, as from the city it also offers daily services to both Christchurch and Auckland. The opening of the Emirates Lounge in Perth is timely, as the airline is scheduled to start four additional flights to Dubai in March, which will increase to a double daily service in September.
Emirates' Senior Vice President Commercial Operations East Asia and Australasia, Richard Vaughan, and The Hon. John Watkins MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development seen here at the Emirates Lounge in Sydney with the airline’s cabin crew members Bianca Dambitis (left) and Kylie Pattison.
Richard Vaughan, Emirates' Senior Vice President Commercial Operations East Asia and Australasia and Western Australia Tourism Minister Sheila McHale MLA unveils the plaque at the Emirates Lounge in Perth.
