OREANDA-NEWS. Basel Aero, a part of Russia's largest industrial diversified group Basic Element, announces that Sochi International Airport, a main gateway of the recent 22nd Winter Olympic and 11th Paralympic Games, served some 615,000 passengers, a quarter of its 2013 annual passenger traffic, between January 7 and March 18, 2014.

Sochi International Airport served 614,595 guests and participants of the 22nd Winter Olympic and 11th Paralympic Games between January 7 and March 18. Among them were 303,035 inbound and 311,560 outbound passengers.

The main terminal was divided into three sectors at the Games time. Sector A served Russia's leading air carriers Aeroflot, Transaero and S7. Sector B handled other domestic airlines while sector C served international routes. There was a temporary Games terminal, or sector D, outside the main building. It served mainly the athletes.

Sectors A and B served 516,544 passengers, sectors C and D handled 98,051 passengers. The airport also handled 9,637 takeoffs and landings. Over 7,674 tons of luggage were processed along with 1,600 tons of cargo and 25.6 tons of mail.

The airport has broken its previous records for passenger traffic, cargo traffic and number of aircraft handling operations during the peak arrivals and departures.

On February 24, a day after the closing ceremony of the Olympics, Sochi airport served 575 takeoffs and landings, almost a quarter of the flights in February, and 25,000 passengers (the majority of them were outbound). A record 409 tons of luggage were processed that day.

The gateway has successfully coped with a 25%-increase in the airfield's maximum capacity of 24 takeoffs and landings per hour. There were 34 takeoffs and landings every hour on February 24.

February which was marked by the Olympic rush has brought records to the Sochi airport. Almost 353,000 passengers with 2,841 tons of luggage came through the gateway in February. These numbers equal to those registered in July 2013 during peak tourist season. Over 5,119 takeoffs and landings were performed in the airport in February. It's as three times as much than in peak July 2013 when there were 1,758 takeoffs and landings.

Sochi International Airport first served over 1,500 passengers with reduced mobility before and during the Paralympics on March 1-18. A total of 113,335 inbound and outbound passengers were served and 1,422 takeoffs and landings were performed on March 1-18. Over 1,275 tons of luggage were processed along with 258 tons of cargo and 7 tons of mail.

Leonid Sergeev, CEO of Basel Aero says: “Sochi International Airport has successfully coped with overloads before and during Olympic and Paralympic Games. We acknowledge the support of Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, Sochi-2014 Organizing Committee, air carriers as well as more than 30 of our partners including many Russian airports. International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, National Olympic Committees, organizers of the Games, broadcasters, media and guests of the Olympics have highly praised our work. We've got new challenges ahead of us: Formula 1 Grand Prix race, International Investment Forum and other events in Sochi. I believe the airport will successfully handle them.”