Amman: Underscoring its commitment to providing an enhanced travel experience for Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) passengers, Airport International Group signed an agreement with Plaza Premium Group during a ceremony held on Tuesday 18 July, 2023, which was followed by an event hosted by Plaza Premium Group to celebrate the opening of marhaba Plaza Premium Lounge. Plaza Premium Group - a pioneer industry leader and the world’s largest provider of airport hospitality services - joined ventures with marhaba for lounge services to launch the new CIP lounge that is conveniently located on the Mezzanine Level above the Duty-Free, offering passengers superior levels of services and facilities.

Featuring a generous space spanning 475 sqm, the new CIP lounge accommodates up to 130 passengers and showcases an exquisitely designed interior that draws inspiration from the scenic beauty of Amman and the renowned World Heritage Site, Petra. In addition to modern business amenities, such as high-speed Wi-Fi, private workstations and state-of-the-art media facilities, the marhaba Plaza Premium Lounge provides showers and in-lounge wellness facilities, paired with an outstanding culinary experience showcasing both local and international cuisines.

During the ceremony, held in the presence of Airport International Group, Plaza Premium Group and marhaba representatives and VIP guests, Airport International Group CEO, Nicolas Claude, stated, “We are delighted to witness the introduction of a new CIP lounge on par with top standards. As the operator of an award-winning airport in customer service excellence, we always strive to deliver a positive travel experience reflective of Jordan’s renowned hospitality, our intrinsic values and our brand promise of shaping an airport experience that feels like home. The unveiling of the marhaba Plaza Premium Lounge is yet another example of us collectively prioritizing the satisfaction and wellbeing of the passengers of Jordan’s prime gateway to the world.”

In turn, Plaza Premium Group Senior Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Okan Kufeci, commented, “Opening the marhaba and Plaza Premium co-branded lounge at QAIA represents a significant milestone in our regional expansion plan and continued alliance with top players within the aviation industry and airport hospitality scene.” 

On his part, Head of marhaba Global, Shahab Al Awadhi, added, “We are delighted to partner with Plaza Premium Group to provide our trademark Arabian hospitality to passengers in Amman. This partnership demonstrates marhaba’s continued expansion and brings together two leading organizations with a shared goal of offering travelers more value and elevating the airport experience. We will work closely together to consistently provide passengers with unparalleled comfort, convenience and quality throughout their journey.”

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About Airport International Group

Airport International Group is a Jordanian company comprising local and international investors with proven experience in airport rehabilitation, enhancement, operation and management. In 2007, following a transparent and open international tender, the Government of Jordan awarded Airport International Group a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession agreement to manage the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA); Jordan’s prime gateway to the world.

Since the agreement commenced, QAIA ranked first place for five years in the Airport Service Quality Survey’s ‘Best Airport by Size and Region: Middle East’ category for airports serving 5 to 15 million passengers and was amongst the top two in the ‘Best Airport by Region: Middle East’ category for four consecutive years. In 2022, QAIA became the first airport in the Middle East and the second in Asia Pacific to reach Level 4+ ‘Transition’ of the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (valid until 2025), as well as the first airport in the Middle East to achieve Level 3 of the Airport Customer Experience Accreditation (valid until the end of 2023).

According to a comprehensive study commissioned by Airport International Group and conducted by International Air Transport Association (IATA) Consulting, in 2019, QAIA supported 238,000 jobs and JOD 2.5 billion (8.9%) in GDP. By 2032, these figures are expected to increase to 278,000 jobs and JOD 3.9 billion in GDP. Underscoring its socioeconomic significance and standing as the main entry point to the Kingdom, QAIA processes over 97% of passengers and 99% of cargo. www.aig.aero

About Plaza Premium Group

With a mission to Make Travel Better, Plaza Premium Group is the pioneer and industry leader in innovating global airport hospitality services and facilities in over 250 locations of more than 70 international airports across the world. Established in 1998 and headquartered in Hong Kong, the group comprises four core business segments – airport lounges Plaza Premium First and Plaza Premium Lounge; airport terminal hotels Aerotel; Airport meet & greet services ALLWAYS and a range of Airport Dining concepts. The Group has also developed Smart Traveller, a mobile-app based global airport membership programme that is designed for air travellers, offering uniquely-curated perks, benefits and rewards experience through points earning and redemption. In addition to its own brands,

Plaza Premium Group provides airport hospitality solutions to leading airlines, alliances, and corporates around the world, including but not limited to Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, American Express, Capital One and many more.

The Group has won more than 60 accolades in the last five years, including “World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge” for five consecutive years from 2016 to 2022 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, the global benchmark of aviation excellence, and “Best Airport Lounge Operator” for 2018 & 2019 by TTG Asia magazine. In 2020, the Group has successfully been awarded ISO 9001:2015 for Hong Kong Headquarters, proving the quality management in providing airport lounge services. In addition, the group’s Founder and CEO Mr. Song Hoi-see was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Master Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Malaysia. Plaza Premium Group currently employs over 5,000 staff and serves more than 20 million global passengers annually. By continuously innovating and striving to surpass travellers’ expectations of airport experiences, the group is growing exponentially across major international airports globally.

To learn more: www.plazapremiumgroup.com

About Marhaba

marhaba, which means 'welcome' in Arabic, was launched in the UAE to help passengers arriving in or departing from Dubai International airport. The popularity of Meet & Greet services has grown exponentially in line with Dubai's growth as a major international travel hub, and marhaba has continually expanded its product offering with a growing list of services and extra options designed to make the passenger airport experience as comfortable as possible.

In recent years marhaba has significantly expanded its network to provide world-class hospitality and deliver a safe and memorable airport experience for more travellers globally. It currently operates 18 airport lounges in seven countries, including the UAE, Australia, Switzerland, Pakistan, Singapore, Tanzania (Zanzibar) and the Philippines, offering guests a consistent brand and service experience at each airport. In the UAE, Australia, Switzerland and the Philippines, passengers can further enhance their journey by booking marhaba’s signature Meet & Greet services.

Travellers can relax and refresh before boarding their flight at marhaba lounges by presenting eligible credit cards or other lounge access programs, or with purchase upon entry. In addition to marhaba’s products, customers can also book access to over 400 lounges and Meet & Greet services provided by the brand’s global partners on www.marhabaservices.com.

The marhaba brand is part of dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers. A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata offers ground handling, cargo and catering services in 38 countries.

This press release has been distributed by Bidaya Marketing Communications on behalf of Airport International Group.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at:
P.O. Box:  930391, Amman 11193, Jordan
Email: bidayamedia@bidayamarcom.com