Asiana opens lounge for disabled at seoul airport

Physically challenged passengers using wheelchairs on Asiana Airlines (OZ) now have a special lounge in Incheon International Airport. Asiana has opened the Hansarang lounge on the third floor of the airport, right across its check-in counters. Passengers with disabilities can check-in and board their flight with special access from the Hansarang lounge.

In the lounge, customers will be served with beverages and simple snacks. They will also be able to watch movies, play games and surf the Internet.

During an opening ceremony for the “Hansarang” Lounge, Wednesday, Asiana Airlines CEO Yoon Young-doo said its disabled customers can now take plenty of rest in a comfortable setting before flights. Hansarang means “one love” in Korean.
Lounge users can also check in while in the Hansarang Lounge, which will make travel more convenient. We are happy that we will be able to upgrade our services for physically-challenged customers in wheelchairs,’’ Yoon said.

The CEO said the airline will make all-out efforts to differentiate customer services from those of other airlines in order to provide customers with the best-quality services.

In 2010, nearly 50,000 air travelers in wheelchairs either entered the country or went abroad through Incheon International Airport.

The lounge is located on the third floor of the airport, across from the Asiana counter K. Company employees will be stationed at the lounge, which operates from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., to help those in wheelchairs take a break and complete boarding procedures.

``Before we designed and built the lounge, we had extensively consulted with representatives of physically-disabled groups about its layout. We reflected their recommendations in the building process. I am positive that our customers will face no difficulty in using the facility,’’ the CEO stressed.