Page 15 - Forbes - Asia (March 2020)
P. 15
“Gone are the days when airport operators de- lounges were serving even 1 of every 100 passen-
fined themselves solely as infrastructure providers,” gers, the remainder represented a massive, un-
says Dimitri Coll, director for airport service quality tapped market. “If I could start a business to ser-
at Airports Council International World. “Increas- vice these people, the business should work,” he
ingly they are sophisticated, innovative, and com- recalls during an exclusive interview at his com-
petitive businesses in their own right, and custom- pany’s headquarters overlooking Hong Kong In-
er experience has become a key business driver.” ternational Airport. 13
Today, airports offer shopping malls, dining, Song opened his first lounge in July 1998 in
gyms, entertainment and culture. South Korea’s Hong Kong’s then-brand new international air-
Incheon International Airport has free nap spac- port, and open his second lounge a few weeks
es, shower facilities and an ice skating rink, while later in the Kuala Lumpur International Air-
Singapore’s new Jewel facility at Changi Airport port. Doubling as his office, that first lounge— ENTREPRENEURS
is a shopping complex that includes the world’s with close to $130,000 monthly rent—almost
tallest indoor waterfall, tropical gardens and a gi- broke him. “I soon ran out of money,” says Song.
ant glass atrium. The $2.6 billion Skycity project, It didn’t help that the Asia financial crisis was in
covering 25ha and being built next to Hong Kong full swing at the time.
International Airport, will offer entertainment, Despite the crisis, money started to roll in that
shopping and dining to travelers and residents. summer when he signed his first corporate cli-
ent, Citibank. It took six months, he says, to con-
It wasn’t always like this. Song was a globetrot- vince the bank that adding his lounge to its card-
ting banker flying business class for the former holder loyalty program would be a good idea.
Lehman Brothers in the late 1980s, first in New “It’s unique value—it was the world’s first airport
York and then Hong Kong. In 1991, though, he lounge open to all travelers—that won them over
quit to become an entrepreneur, opening a ser- in the end,” Song says. “It was not easy because it
viced office business called Plaza Business Centre. was a new business.”
As an entrepreneur, he could then only afford Business slowly grew over the next several years,
coach. Plunged into the no-frills wilderness of helped as Asia and air traffic in the region recov-
economy class, Song saw opportunity: if airline ered. Song tided himself over by selling the ser-
MAR CH 2020 F ORBES A SIA
