Many passengers who fly from Stansted airport are familiar with long queues through security and a departure hall with packed shops and restaurants.
But the offer of “luxury and comfort” in an exclusive lounge as they await their flight is now available to premium-rate passengers travelling with Emirates from the airport.
The airline has invested more than £4m to open a 125-seat, 900 sqm lounge for first class and business class customers, as well as Emirates Skywards members.
It is the first dedicated airline lounge at the airport, and complements the Escape Lounge that can be used by all passengers for a fee starting at £31.99 per person.
Travellers can dine on a “farm to table” gourmet menu from a partnership with Sussex-based Full Circle Farms. Wine, champagne, spirits and liqueurs will also be available as part of a “world-class hospitality” offer. Wifi and showers are also provided.
Emirates operates two flights a day from Stansted direct to its global hub airport in Dubai.
Mohammed Mattar, divisional senior vice president at Emirates said: “Emirates has been serving London Stansted since 2018, and the airport remains a very important gateway for our customers across the southern region of the UK.
“The new lounge is a testament to our brand promise of always flying customers better – in the air and on-ground. We look forward to taking the premium travel experience to new heights and to offering customers a chance to unwind and dine with Emirates’ renowned signature hospitality.”
The opening of the lounge, in Satellite 1, adjacent to the departure gates, is the sixth opened by Emirates in the UK. It already has lounges at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester.
Gareth Powell, managing director at Stansted Airport, said: "The opening of Emirates’ new world-class lounge is fantastic news for London Stansted and passengers using Emirates services to Dubai and beyond, and once again demonstrates the airline's commitment to the airport and the wider region.
“Offering an experience of luxury and comfort for the airline’s First and Business Class customers, its location in Satellite 1 boasts excellent views over the airport and allows boarding access to the aircraft directly from the lounge.
“The 14 weekly flights between London Stansted and Dubai have been extremely popular with travellers since day one, not just to the Middle East, but right across the globe thanks to the airline's huge worldwide route network.”
Emirates boasts of 85 destinations from Stansted, via its network based in the Middle East. These include Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa, Japan, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.
Most passengers using Stansted fly with Ryanair or easyJet. The Essex airport recorded its busiest ever month in August, with more than three million passengers for the first time in its history.
It said that 99 per cent of passengers passed through security in 15 minutes or less. August 23 was its busiest day in history, with more than 103,700 passengers.
Its most popular summer destinations were Spain, Italy and Turkey.
The 12-month total to the end of August stood at 29.26 million passengers, an increase of 7.8 per cent on the previous year.
