OREANDA-NEWS. Airport Development, a part of Russia's largest industrial diversified group Basic Element, announces that it has signed an agreement with LSG Sky Chefs on building an airline catering facility in Sochi, a host city for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games. The investment to the project is estimated at USD 5.4 mln.

The agreement between Airport Development and Aviapit-Sochi, LSG Sky Chefs Russian subsidiary, was signed in the newly-built VIP Terminal at the Sochi International Airport.

According to the document, Aviapit-Sochi will build a 3,288 sq. m airline catering facility which will provide 12,000 meals per day. The new catering unit will operate 24/7 with about 160 staff working in three shifts.

The project's payback period is up to nine years.

The facility's layout is designed in accordance with the technological processes. Processing of food, semi-products, packaging materials and waste are organized in a consistent way so that the food stocks and finished products do not mix. The catering unit will be equipped with refrigerators. The food could be preserved for up to six months due to the state-of-the-art freezing technology.

Dmitry Egorov, the head of Airport Development comments: “The main goal of our company is to boost the airport's production capacity so that it meets the airport and the air carriers' demands when the passenger flow hikes during the Games. The catering production facility will fully comply with the international quality and safety standards. The catering unit is the first Airport Development's project that we've started to develop with our partners about a year ago. The beginning of the construction is slated for 2014.”

Igor Kalinin, Aviapit-Sochi CEO says: “The new facility will become Russia's most advanced production center of the airline catering. It will boast state-of-the-art technologies in the airline meals production market. The Sochi International Airport will meet the needs of the top international airlines. The energy efficient and environmentally-friendly technology that will be used at the facility, include solar energy, waste collection, LED equipment and energy recovery.”

Leonid Sergeev, Basel Aero CEO says: “The high quality of services and passengers' safety is the top priority for Basel Aero airports. Through cooperation with the leading providers of onboard services, we'll be able to deliver highest-quality catering to passengers of our partnering airlines next year.”