OREANDA-NEWS. Last year Aeroflot received "Gateway to the future!" award of Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee for its contribution to sustainable development. Another project of Russia's leading airline - ensuring aviation security by means of its own canine service - was recognized as the best in Modern Technologies category.

Aeroflot created and now successfully uses a system of preventive anti-terrorist protection of passengers, personnel, aircraft and facilities with the help of detection dogs. The project's main feature is the use of a specially bred species (jackal-dog hybrid dubbed the Sulimov dog) with improved sensitivity and selectivity. These qualities provide a high performance search and identification of explosives and persons involved.

Aeroflot's unique canine service received wide international recognition; the dog center operates in Moscow base airport Sheremetyevo. The service significantly enhances the security of Aeroflot's extensive route network. Since 2011 the Olympic stage of the project has been implemented, this fact is directly related to the preparation for the upcoming Winter Olympics.

"Gateway to the future!" award was established to celebrate the social, environmental and economic achievements in preparation for the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi. A special attention is paid to the most socially important and environmentally responsible projects. In 2013 22 organizations submitted 47 applications to the competition in 10 categories.

Aeroflot became the winner of "Gateway to the future!" award for the second time. Earlier this year the Russian flag carrier was honored with this award in the same Modern technology category for "All-weather flights to the airports of the Olympics" project that allows to significantly decrease the weather minimums for landing at the Sochi and Gelendzhik airports in strict compliance with safety requirements.