SIA set to redefine airport lounge experience

Singapore Airlines has appointed renowned architectural and interior design firm ONG&ONG to develop a new design concept to be applied to all of the airline’s airport lounges worldwide.

The appointment is part of a more than $ 20 million investment program in SilverKris Lounges for the next five years intended to enhance the travel experience of our customers.

The new design concept will be rolled out progressively to the airline’s lounges from the middle of next year. The SilverKris Lounge at Sydney Airport will be the first to be fitted out with the new design concept.

Customer engagement will be a part of the design process, and a mix of customers will be involved from the initial conceptualisation to the testing and evaluation of prototypes.

“Many of our customers tell us that the moment they step on board a Singapore Airlines aircraft, they feel an immediate sense of ‘home’. We hope to replicate that ‘home away from home’ experience in our lounges, along with the warm Asian hospitality that Singapore Airlines is renowned for,” said SIA’s Senior Vice President Product & Services, Tan Pee Teck.

“Apart from providing customers with an inviting and exclusive contemporary space, the next generation of SilverKris Lounges will meet the changing needs and expectations of both business and leisure travellers and better integrate the ground and air travel experience.”

ONG&ONG was selected following an extensive tender exercise involving the participation of both local and international design firms. The project will be headed by ONG&ONG’s Experience Design studio OX:D which is known for its 360 degree design approach that combines both design and business solutions.

The firm had impressed SIA with its multi-disciplinary approach as well as the insights it had gleaned into what customers today are looking for – having interviewed frequent flyers about their experiences of airport lounges and travel in general.

Tan added: “We are very pleased to be working with ONG&ONG. Much like Singapore Airlines, it is a home-grown company with extensive regional and international experience, which will help provide important insight into customer desires and expectations.”

OX:D’s Director Ken Yuktasevi said: “The heart of Experience Design (OX:D) at ONG&ONG is deeply rooted in creating a meaningful experience based on the needs of the user. The ability to evoke an emotional response makes the difference between an experience and a space. Being selected as a local designer for this project is a privilege and honour, and we look forward to working with Singapore Airlines to create a memorable travel experience for their customers.”

Ahead of the introduction of the new design concept next year, Singapore Airlines continues to focus efforts on improving existing SilverKris Lounges, as part of the more than $ 20 million investment program over five years.

Singapore Airlines has 15 SilverKris Lounges at airports around the world, inclusive of new lounges at Delhi and Seoul airports. The Delhi lounge recently had its soft opening and is to be officially opened in September. The Seoul lounge is slated for completion at Incheon International Airport by the end of this year.

In addition, the SilverKris Lounge at Melbourne Airport will be undergoing expansion and renovation works. Due for completion around the end of November, the improvements will offer increased seating capacity as well as a new dining area.