LEADING ASPAC OPERATORS: LAGARDÈRE TRAVEL RETAIL
Wuhan Airport reopening a ‘symbol’ of hope’ for the global DF&TR industry
The reopening of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on 8 April provides a timely reminder that life will eventually return to normal following the Covid-19 crisis. Eudes Fabre, CEO, North Asia, Lagardère Travel Retail spoke exclusively to Andrew Pentol about the impact of the crisis on a human and business level.
F
or Lagardère Travel Retail, the reopening of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport and
its 88 stores on 8 April 2020 was a significant milestone and ‘big sign of hope and optimism’ for the GTR industry amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The reopening of the airport,
where Lagardère runs the long-term Terminal 3 master retail concession (travel essentials, speciality retail, luxury and foodservice), coincided with the city’s emergence from a 76-day lockdown on 6 April 2020. This was imposed by China’s
central govenrment amid rising fears that the spread of the virus would prompt a global health emergency, which was ultimately the case. Aside the travel retailer’s Wuhan
operations, Lagardère has been running airport stores across the country since 2007 and is the largest international travel retailer. Its first contract win in the
country was at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, where it opened eight Relay stores and one Virgin outlet.
MAY 2020
Speaking exclusively to TRBusiness on the eve of the re-opening of Wuhan Airport, Eudes Fabre, CEO, North Asia, Lagardère Travel Retail acknowledged the importance of the opening as a sign of hope for the global DF&TR industry. After all, Wuhan is where the virus
originated and claimed its first life on 10 January 2020. It was also the place where many people contracted ‘pneumonia’ with no clear cause, which was later linked to a new strain of coronavirus.
‘Life will return to normal’ Fabre continued: “The symbol of Wuhan Airport reopening goes above and beyond any prediction or forecast of how revenues will be. “The reopening is proof
that everything which closed and disappeared will reopen and come back. “You hear people saying they
will not travel anymore and airlines suggesting they do not require any more planes. People are also saying they will no longer eat out as they have learned to cook in quarantine, but the
point to remember is that life will return to normal.” Asked by TRBusiness to predict how
things could transpire in terms of revenue at Wuhan Tianhe, Fabre was reluctant to provide a timeline. “We will take it day by day and see
how things go,” he responded. “It will probably take time for business to ramp back up, but I am personally confident and optimistic. “Wuhan was living under
lockdown for a long time and I think people are really anxious to start living their lives again.” Currently living in Shanghai, Fabre
is well placed to comment on the Covid-19 situation in China.
“The symbol of Wuhan Airport reopening goes above and beyond any prediction or forecast of how revenues will be.”
Eudes Fabre, CEO, North Asia, Lagardère Travel Retail
TRBUSINESS 39
Above: Business at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is expected to take some time to ‘ramp back up’.
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