Emirates has inaugurated its refurbished Paris Charles de Gaulle Lounge for First Class and Business Class passengers as well as Platinum and Gold members of Emirates Skywards, the airline’s frequent flyer programme.

It is the first of the airline’s existing worldwide network of lounges to be refurbished in the new interior design, originally unveiled within Emirates’ Concourse A Lounges in Dubai earlier this year, an airline statement said.

Redesigned for a total investment of Dh17.6 million ($4.8 million), the lounge has also been relocated to a more central location. The new space, between Terminal 2A and 2C, offers improved customer access and a clear view onto the tarmac, a perfect location for customers to relax and undertake some plane spotting.

The overall size of the lounge has also been boosted by 67 per cent offering 926 sq m that can now welcome up to 156 passengers.

The opening of the refurbished lounge was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Mohammed Mattar, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president Airport Services and Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ country manager for France.

“The refurbishment of this lounge is a further marker of our commitment to offering our premium class customers the best possible passenger journey with Emirates,” said Mattar.

“Selecting our lounge in Paris as the first destination to receive the new look refurbishment was an easy choice. Our capacity to Paris has increased significantly this year, with the instalment of a second daily A380 and our commitment to the city has also grown, with our recent sponsorship of the French Open Tennis and renewal of our sponsorship with Paris Saint Germain for a further five years,” he added.

With a design matching the environment of Emirates’ First Class and Business Class on-board suites, the new Paris Charles de Gaulle Lounge provides travellers with high quality services including; a choice of formal or relaxed seating, shower facilities, a dining area, a complimentary hot and cold gourmet buffet and an extensive beverage service, including a French wine selection.

The 35 existing lounges of the Emirates network will be refurbished according to the new design in a phased plan over the next 18 to 24 months.

Emirates currently operates 32 weekly flights to France, including 20 weekly flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle, a daily flight to Nice and five times weekly service to Lyon. – TradeArabia News Service