gategroup to Operate SkyTeam’s New Lounge at Heathrow

LONDON - Global airline alliance SkyTeam has turned to gategroup member company Performa to develop service concepts and to manage and operate SkyTeam’s first co-branded lounge, opening June 4 at London Heathrow Airport.

Performa’s specialized lounge division developed guest service standards and operational procedures for the SkyTeam lounge and the design of the dining and bar menu offerings. Performa also will manage the day-to-day activities of the facility.

Several gategroup companies are working side-by-side with Performa Lounges to support SkyTeam’s goal of building its brand presence at Heathrow. They are:

– Gate Gourmet, the world’s largest independent airline catering and logistics provider, which is supplying chefs and preparing food and beverages. — Elan, which has recruited and trained energetic staff to interact with guests and provide a superior level of service. — Gate Aviation, a leading U.K. supplier of specialty aviation services, which will maintain impeccable levels of cleanliness throughout the facility.

“SkyTeam sets some of the highest customer experience standards in the industry, and it is an honor for gategroup companies to partner with the alliance in this exciting project,” said gategroup CEO Guy Dubois. “Winning the SkyTeam contract demonstrates again the appeal that gategroup’s comprehensive scope of products and services brings to the airline industry,” he added.

The new multi-level lounge will occupy 1,600 square meters and seats more than 300.

“Today is extremely significant for SkyTeam as we become one step closer to transforming Terminal 4 at London Heathrow into the first-ever airport facility truly centered around the alliance and its passengers,” said Francesca Freeland, lead for the SkyTeam Heathrow Airport team. “We have succeeded in creating a lounge with enhanced customer benefits that brings our ‘Caring More About You’ philosophy to life.”

Keith Yates, who heads Performa, said, “The Heathrow project brings together Performa’s considerable experience in managing, servicing and designing lounges that epitomize quality and contemporary sophistication.” Other notable examples of Performa’s lounge work include the Emirates lounges at London Heathrow and Hong Kong.

SkyTeam is the global airline alliance partnering 10 members, including Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Continental Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Korean Air, and three Associate Airlines: Air Europa, Copa Airlines (Panama) and Kenya Airways. SkyTeam offers its 462 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,700 daily flights covering 905 destinations in 169 countries. www.skyteam.com.

gategroup is the leading independent global provider of onboard services to companies serving the travelling passenger. gategroup comprises 11 member companies whose world-class capabilities are focused in catering and hospitality, aircraft provisioning and logistics, and onboard solutions. gategroup shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol GATE. Visit www.gategroup.com for more information.

Source: gategroup

Marisa Pitsch-Hearn of Performa - UK, +44-77-87-607-164, mpitsch at performaglobalconsulting.com, or John Bronson of gategroup - US, +1-703-964-2362, jbronson at gategourmet.com, or James Hughes, Ketchum for SkyTeam U.K., +44-207-611-3604, james.hughes at ketchum.com