Global gateway for international sports

A global aviation gateway for major international sporting events, Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is gearing up for the XXII Winter Olympic Games hosted from February 7 to 24, in Sochi – a resort city in the Black Sea region of southwestern Russia (www.sochi2014.com). Frankfurt’s home-base carrier Lufthansa is offering 27 special nonstop flights – with a reduced flying time of only three-and-one-half hours – to Sochi/Adler International Airport (AER: http://sochi-airport.com/). On January 24, Lufthansa launched its first Sochi Olympic flight (LH 1474) with an Airbus 321 jet departing at about 09:40, and the return flight (LH 1475) leaving Sochi at about 17:15 local time. Thus, athletes and trainers, media representatives, and sports fans from around the world will be able to fly comfortably via FRA to AER.

A number of other airlines at FRA are also offering special flights for the Winter Games. From January 27 to February 25, Aeroflot flight SU 2305 leaves FRA daily at 22:35 in the evening for Sochi. Aeroflot launched its Frankfurt-Sochi route back in February 2007, even before the city won its Winter Olympics bid. In addition, Aeroflot also has many regular flights from Frankfurt to its Moscow hub, where passengers can catch connecting flights to Sochi. The Aeroflot check-in counters (805-807) are located in FRA’s Terminal 2, Hall D. During the Olympic spectacle, the Russian carrier Orenair will also be offering nonstop flights – with B777-300 aircraft – to Sochi from January 27 to March 1. Passengers can check in for Orenair flights at FRA’s Terminal 2 in Hall E; the mid-afternoon flight departs FRA at 14:20. Rossiya of Russia has regular flights from Frankfurt to its hub at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport (LED), with onward connections available several times per week to Sochi. Check in for Rossiya flights is handled at FRA’s Hall E in Terminal 2.

Visitors and passengers at Frankfurt Airport will be able to watch live broadcasts of their favorite teams and athletes competing in the Sochi Games. In the transit areas as well as the public areas of the terminals, there will be a total of 28 locations equipped with screens for live broadcasts. A brochure showing broadcast times and locations in the terminals can be found at: www.frankfurt-airport.com.

Most of Germany’s athletes will be flying via FRA to Sochi. The German Olympic team will get its official send-off from Frankfurt Airport on February 4. At FRA fans and athletes will be able to use two exclusive special Winter Olympics check-in counters (450 and 451) in Departures Hall B of Terminal 1. From here, the “Olympian passengers” will be guided by specially designed signs in a countdown format to gate B24, sporting a specially decorated “Your Gate to Sochi 2014!” design. Continuing a tradition of more than 40 years, Lufthansa is the Official Carrier of the German Olympic team and the National Paralympic Committee. After the Winter Olympics, the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games follow from March 7 to 16. Visit Lufthansa’s “Your Gate to Sochi 2014” online portal: http://sport.lufthansagroup.com/en/sotschi/sotschi.html