event preparation
10
Sochi Airport, Russia, has undergone a
transformation in recent years as it prepared
for the huge influx of passengers set to pass
through its terminals en route to the 2014 Winter
Olympic Games (7-23 February). Basel Aero, the
operator of Sochi, as well as Krasnodar, Gelendzhik
and Anapa airports, had to ensure the airport
would be able to serve 3,800 passengers an hour
during the event.
Speaking to PTW in the run-up to the Games,
Leonid Sergeev, CEO of Basel Aero, explained
how, since Russia won the bid to host in 2007,
many important projects turned what he described
as a “Soviet-style Sochi Airport” into a thoroughly
modern facility. “Our main development was the
new International Terminal, which opened in 2010.
This terminal now resembles a futuristic spacecraft
with a façade of solid glass that adds airiness,
fineness and cohesion,” said Sergeev.
Over the past six years, more than US$450m
(£272m) has been invested in the development of
the airport. “The International Terminal now boasts
19 state-of-the-art check-in counters, 10 self-service
check-in terminals and mobile check-in desks
where passengers can print out boarding passes
using smartphones,” explained Sergeev.
The investment also included a new integrated
security system that enables Sochi to monitor
security conditions 24/7, proactively spot
suspicious situations and react in a timely manner.
“On top of this, the airport has also installed a threelevel baggage scanning system from Rapiscan,
which has a handling capacity of 7,000 units per
hour,” added Sergeev.
let the
games begin
Passenger Terminal World caught up with Leonid Sergeev, CEO
of Basel Aero, to discuss the challenges faced by Sochi Airport
ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games
on the web
Passenger Terminal World | MARCH 2014
To read the full interview with
Leonid Sergeev, please visit:
PassengerTerminalToday.com
In addition to the new International Terminal,
Basel Aero invested in a temporary Games
Terminal (Terminal D) for athletes, a new cargo
terminal, and a VIP Terminal to serve state
leaders, official delegations and business aviation.
The Games Terminal was designed to help the
airport manage the huge increase in passenger
traffic anticipated during the Games by handling
6,000 athletes and team members from around
85 countries. The 2,600m2 facility has a handling
capacity of 420 passengers per hour.
“The 4,000m2 VIP Terminal has a handling
capacity of 85 passengers per hour,” said
Sergeev. “It was tested thoroughly during the
International Investment Forum Sochi-2013 in late
September. Everything went smoothly but we still
had final adjustments to make to ensure the VIP
Terminal perfectly fits the needs of the clients.”
According to Sergeev, one of Basel Aero’s main
focuses during the build-up to the Games was to
ensure that the facilities on offer at Sochi took into
account passengers with reduced mobility. “We
have invested approximately US$1m (£603,800)
in permanent accessibility improvements for
PRMs and other disabilities. As part of the
navigation package for the blind, for example, the
airport is equipped with tactile footpaths. Three
mnemonic schemes, which feature Braille letters,
are installed near the entrance and inside the
terminal. We also introduced a preferential queue
and a dedicated security checkpoint for disabled
passengers, and paramedics are on hand to help
passengers with special needs during check-in,
security checks and transfer from the departure
lounge to an aircraft,” explained Sergeev.
In a bid to turn the airport into a “multilingual
melting pot” during the Games, more than 500
of Basel Aero’s staff passed English language
courses. “We want passengers to feel that the
airport is where the Games start, so it’s important
that we do our best to give them the warmest
welcome to Sochi,” Sergeev said.
As part of this welcome, the retail offering
has been improved. In mid-October 2013 Basel
Aero established a joint venture with Nuance
to improve the airport’s retail. “The concession
runs for 15 years until 2028 and will consist of a
major retail development programme creating a
world-class shopping experience at each Basel
Aero airport, including Sochi,” explained Sergeev.
By the start of the Games the company was set
to introduce a total of 4,600m2 of retail space
showcasing several dozens of duty-free stores. n
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