Germany: Japan Tobacco International Inaugurates Frankfurt Smoking Lounges

Source from:  DFNIonline.com‎  12/07/2012

Four new Camel-branded smoking lounges have opened in the new Pier A-Plus at terminal one.

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in partnership with airport operator Fraport has opened four Camel-branded smoking lounges in the new pier A-plus at Frankfurt International airport terminal one. The inauguration of the lounges follows the opening of the first JTI smoking lounge in T1 transit area B in August. The airport now features 220sq m of smoking facilities for around 12m smoking transit passengers a year with a further five smoking lounges set to open in the near future.

JTI consumer and trade marketing vice-president worldwide duty free Ming Lee Foo told DFNIonline: "The long-term partnership with Fraport started with smoking stations, evolved into cabins and here we are today with state-of-the- art smoking lounges. It has been a fruitful partnership.
 
"The great thing for the airport is that they are able to provide excellent facilities for smoking passengers which account for about a fifth of the travelling population."
 
JTI general manager and vice-president worldwide duty-free business David Francis added: "Right from the start, the smoking lounge concept proved to be a win-win solution for everyone. Adult smokers can enjoy a cigarette break in a dedicated area, while non-smokers can enjoy a smoke-free environment. As a result Frankfurt airport is recognised for its commitment to passenger service."
 
Regarding responsibility for the service-sponsoring concept, which was assigned to Fraport subsidiary Media Frankfurt GmbH, Media Frankfurt general manager Simone Schwab said: "We have chosen this forward-looking concept to meet the needs of all our passenger. While smoking is generally not permitted in our terminals, specially ventilated smoking lounges are the perfect solution for smokers and non-smokers. They are particularly important in transit areas for our connecting passengers."
 
Frankfurt airport first introduced smoking areas for adult smokers in 2005 based on the JTI concept and according to the supplier it has kept pace with all JTI developments in the field since. It now joins a select group of airports providing passengers with a refined smoking environment before boarding, including Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Geneva, Moscow and Munich. Enditem