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Work to transform a disused control centre into a luxury airport lounge has kicked off at Perth Airport this month.
Situated near the Level 3 Observation Deck, the Aspire Lounge will be the first at Perth’s T1: International to offer panoramic views of the airfield, thanks to its location atop the existing departure concourse.
To be operated in conjunction with Swissport, the new Perth lounge will supplement existing offers at Terminal 1. This includes The Qantas Club, Krislounge and Air New Zealand Lounges – all of which are located internally within the Level 2 departures area – as well as an Emirates Lounge found on Level 1.
The addition of new lounge facilities forms part of a series of upgrades being undertaken at Perth Airport, with major works also underway to connect Terminal 1 with a new train station that forms part of the $1.86 billion Forrestfield Airport Link.
Due to open in the second half of 2021, the Airport Link will connect Perth Airport to Perth City by train for the first time, in what will be a welcome efficiency boost for business and leisure travellers alike.
Offering a pay-per-use service, Perth’s new lounge will appeal to travellers who do not hold airline lounge memberships.
It will benefit from Swissport’s international experience operating Aspire Lounges at Heathrow, Züirch, Amsterdam and Chicago – to name just a few; with the additional relaxation space a welcome development that will supplement the Perth Airport’s existing departure facilities.
“These pay per use lounges are becoming more popular at international airports both interstate and around the world”
“They provide passengers, regardless of what air ticket they have, a dedicated space to relax, refresh and recharge before a long flight,” said Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown of the development.
“The Aspire lounge will be another piece of the puzzle falling into place as we build an upgraded international terminal and bring all flight services into the T1 precinct by 2025.”
However, works will cause disruption to Perth’s avid plane spotting community, with a portion of the Level 3 Observation Deck being annexed to provide space for the new development.
This includes the removal of the Level 3 public bathrooms, with visitors now having to trek down to Level 1 to access restrooms.
The Aspire Lounge forms part of the airport’s vision to offer a seamless travel experience at Western Australia’s largest aviation hub.
To facilitate this, the 2020 Preliminary Draft Master Plan calls for the migration of all passenger services to the T1 Precinct within the next 5 years, stating: “Consolidation of all commercial passenger services… will address capacity constraints, provide passengers with an improved transfer experience, and will provide airlines which operate in both domestic and international markets with significant operational savings through co-location of operations.”
The plan will see the relocation of Qantas Group domestic and international services – currently operated in T3/T4 on the western side of the airfield – joining existing domestic and international airlines at the T1 Precinct.
