Song Hoi-see has transformed the airport industry. Following on from a career in investment banking, Mr Song launched his own business which found him flying economy class and without the airport lounge privileges he had previously enjoyed.He found such travel experience incomplete, struggling to work effectively while on the go.

Identifying a gap in the market, Mr Song launched the first Plaza Premium Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport and KL International Airport in 1998. This was the world’s first independent airport lounge. Open to all travellers regardless of airline or travel class, the service-oriented Plaza Premium Lounge concept was driven by a heartfelt desire “to do something for the majority”. Through his initiative and vision, Mr Song broke the stereotype that airport lounges are for premium travellers only.

With over 17 years of unrivalled experience offering premium airport services, Mr Song has led Plaza Premium Lounge to be the benchmark for airport value-added services. Plaza Premium Lounge has also evolved into Plaza Premium Group with diversified businesses. The Group currently comprises four core airport services, Airport Lounge, Airport Transit Hotel, Airport Meet & Greet Service, and Airport Dining.

The Group now operates in more than 130 locations in 35 airports globally, and counts more than 3,500 employees, serving over 7 million passengers around the world annually.

Mr Song credits his well-structured and controlled management system as the key to his success. In 2002, he initiated a company effort to attain the ISO 9001:2000 accreditation and later upgraded to ISO 9000:2008 in 2010, a certification which is unprecedented in the aviation service industry, where Plaza Premium Group is the first airport hospitality management company to receive such an accreditation. More recently, under his leadership the Group won the International Award at the most prestigious Hong Kong Business Award.

Mr Song is the winner of the Outstanding Entrepreneurship award organised by Enterprise Asia, a non-government organisation rewarding initiative and business leaders. The Group has also been awarded a number of prestigious honours, including Corporate Award of Customer Service Excellence Programme by Hong Kong International Airport; Outstanding Service Staff of the Year – Silver Award by Singapore Changi Airport; Best Overall Lounge by Delhi International Airport Limited; The Top in Class and Moment of Truth Award by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and Best Airport Lounge by Priority Pass.

Plaza Premium Group has been nominated as one of The Most Valuable Companies in Hong Kong since 2005. Mr Song has been serving the World Economics Committee of Airport Councils International since 2010, is a founding member of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and was formerly the chairman of Hong Kong Airport Manager Association.