Dubai airport is slated to open the world's largest business and first class lounges in January next year at the new concourse coming up at a cost of USD four billion to house 28 superjumbo A-380s at a time.
Apart from accommodating the double-decker Airbus A-380s, the 11-floor concourse, with a capacity of handling 11 million passengers a year, would have a five-star and a four-star hotels with over 200 rooms.
Two lounges for First and Business Class passengers would occupy an entire floor each, extending to almost 900 metres or nearly a km long, said Don Surrendra, Manager (Product Development) of Emirates Airport Services.
While the first class lounge would have a capacity of accommodating 1,400 at a time and the business class lounge would house 2,500. The long lounges would have mirror foot- print, that is the same facilities would be provided on both sides of the floor, he told PTI from Dubai.
"The new concourse, a USD four billion project opening on January 2, will house 28 A-380s at one time. You can board the aircraft from the lounge itself through separate aerobridges connecting the aircraft. This is a unique facility not provided by any airline in the world so far," he claimed.
Asked how many Indian passengers used lounges on an average, Surrendra said a total of 1.5 million passengers used the Emirates lounges in Dubai in the last financial year. "Of this, roughly 11 per cent were from India, reflecting a very strong demographic trend."
With a capacity to handle 15 million passengers a year, the 'Home of the Emirates A380' would be equipped with unique double-decker air contact bridges and direct lounge boarding for First and Business Class customers.
