Paris cdg aims to please customers

AIRPORT BOSSES ARE HOPING NEW FACILITIES AND BETTER STAFF TRAINING WILL POLISH UP ITS IMAGE THIS YEAR PARIS Charles de Gaulle airport is hoping to boost its popularity by opening new

facilities and teaching its staff to be friendlier. British consultants Skytrax, who publish passenger surveys, ranked the airport 89th out of 208 worldwide last year – a lacklustre

performance, which could be set to change. Aéroports de Paris, which runs the site, is investing €2.4 billion in new infrastructure by 2015, including opening a new departure lounge for

long-haul flights called Satellite 4, in July. Linked to Terminal 2E by a 3 minute underground journey, it will be designed to “meet the best international standards for quality of service”,

including large windows, colourful décor and big, clear signs. It will also have more than 3,000sq.m of shops, bars and restaurants and even a small museum exhibiting works from major Paris

museums like the Louvre. Long-haul passengers at present use three different terminals and the move to Satellite 4 should reduce connecting times, the airport says. It will also free up

space in other terminals and speed up the service for people making shorter flights. The airport also recently started what it calls its “Service University” aimed at training staff to be

more responsive to customers’ needs. ADP boss Pierre Graff said: “In the current economic climate it’s more important than ever to anticipate our customers’ future needs if we want to

consolidate our positions as a leader in Europe. That will be done by a major improvement to service quality and customer satisfaction.” Photo: Takato Marui