New Paradise lounge points the way forward

Air Niugini Executive Club members (and executive travellers with Air Niugini’s codeshare partners, including Qantas) will notice quite a change at Jacksons International Airport, with the opening of Air Niugini’s new Paradise Lounge.

It has been relocated and redeveloped in the International Terminal, to standards comparable with any airline lounge worldwide, in a project that took seven months to complete.

Once you’ve been greeted by the friendly reception staff, the first thing you will notice is the enormous increase in space —there’s now room for 145 passengers to sit in comfort, compared to 48 in our old lounge.

As well as significantly more space, it has a range of comforts and conveniences designed to make every journey you take with Air Niugini even more of a pleasure.

You can relax in a comfortable armchair, freshen up with a shower, enjoy free WiFi, watch TV, or charge up your laptop or mobile phone at one of the workstations.

Then, there’s the food and refreshments, which is nothing short of a revolution.

Air Niugini has partnered with Port Moresby’s own Crowne Plaza Hotel to develop an upmarket, international-quality menu featuring gourmet meals and snacks, as well as a wide range of alcoholic and soft beverages. Food is prepared on site in a special kitchen using the best available ingredients: there are main meals, salads, fresh-baked scones, barista-style coffee and much more.

“The lounge is also family friendly, with baby changing tables for guests travelling with children. There are also facilities for those with disabilities,” points out Michael Boyacii, head of Air Niugini’s customers and markets division.

“The new Paradise Lounge at Jacksons represents the start of a rollout of new lounges for our Executive Club members.

“A new lounge, based on the same decor, will open at Mount Hagen’s redeveloped airport in August, while our Lae travellers can expect a new upmarket lounge at Nadzab Airport later this year too.” ■