Plaza Premium Group (PPG), a global award-winning airport hospitality services provider, has been appointed by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to manage passenger services at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/BLR Airport). This is in line with BIAL’s vision to provide delightful travel experiences at BLR Airport.
The 10-year full-service management appointment covers the entire portfolio of BLR Airport’s 22 services. The 360-degree airport service delivery scope includes: service delivery, control center, training center, customer engagement, marketing communications, sales and distribution as well as technology. The agreement covers a wide range of services, including meet and assist, porter services, luggage storage and flower booking, PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) services, limo services, concierge services, valet parking, car spa, travel concierge, pet care service, personal shopper, robotic assistance etc. and more services will be introduced to enable an end-to-end and globally connected passenger journey.
The appointment of PPG signifies a timely and significant step in transforming airport experiences, under the concept of “The Power of One” to deliver “One Brand, One Experience, One Service Standards through One Platform under One Team.” BIAL and PPG will collaborate in addressing the desires of “New Travel” – with seamless service delivery, world-class standards and quality, technology and innovation, as well as commercialization optimization.
"We are optimistic that our timely partnership with Plaza Premium Group (PPG) will bolster our mission to transform passenger experience at BLR Airport. The Power of One concept will ensure optimal service and safety standards, along with seamless airport experience. This partnership is a positive step towards restoring passenger confidence in air travel," said Hari Marar, managing director and CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited.
As part of the mission and strategy to deliver seamless, optimal and data-driven operation excellence, Plaza Premium Group has teamed up with global IT services leader Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop an end-to-end passenger services technology platform to connect the complexity of reservation, sales and marketing, customer engagement, back-of-house command and control, manpower management, training center and the entire operation information management. The newly developed PPG Passenger Services Technology Platform will be built based on the existing PPG operating platform with tailored architecture that suits BIAL’s passengers’ needs. The platform will include an omi-channel booking engine that enables worldwide sales and distribution, a customer engagement center with customer profiling and personalization capabilities, a service delivery platform for dispatch and real-time incident management, and a back-office system which powers HR, administration, asset and information management.
PPG is also partnered with one-stop customer engagement technology service provider oneDirect to ensure passenger interactions are managed through one-single platform via various touchpoints. Through the “Power of One” concept, Plaza Premium Group will coordinate the standards, data and insights, methodology and efforts, with consultation and input from BIAL’s management and operation teams to further optimize and commercialize customer experience and achieve the vision for unmatched, memorable, world-class passenger journey.
“We are beyond grateful to be trusted by BIAL to jointly create world-class airport experience and very importantly, to serve millions of domestic and international travelers in the new era of travel. India is one of the fasting growing air travel markets with Bangalore as the key driving force. PPG is no stranger to the Indian travel market and we see huge potential in the travel market, therefore we have strategized to invest over $15 million and will deploy a workforce of over 800 staff over the 10 years, supported by our Hong Kong-based headquarters with the hope to grow with BIAL in the years to come. With a strong local alliance with TCS and oneDirect, we are confident that we will be able to take BLR’s passengers service to the next level with data-driven decision-making, advanced technology and very importantly, the PPG team’s love and passion for quality customer service,” shares Song Hoi-see, founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group.
Plaza Premium Group has vast experience in the India market in the past decade, delivering airport hospitality services including lounges, transit hotels, and meet and greet services across key airports including Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD), Chandigarh International Airport (IXC) and Visakhapatnam Airport (VTZ). The Group will also support in enable delightful journeys and experiences of BLR as the “Gateway to a New India,” across its global sales & distribution network leveraging on its presence in over 70 international airports from China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
