Marriott Will Feed Passengers on Soviet Flights

In the realm of cultural exchange with the Soviet Union, the United States has sent orchestras and received circuses, sent photographers and gotten back ballet dancers as the two nations through the past decade traded back and forth the best and brightest.

Now, in the lastest development of cultural exchange, Americans are sending Soviets airline food.

At a news conference Tuesday, the Marriott Corp. of Bethesda, Md., announced that it has formed a joint venture with Aeroflot, the Soviet airline, to operate its in-flight food service.

While many U.S. airline passengers have few good things to say about meals served in flight, they have to admit it is better than nothing.

And nothing is frequently on the menu of Aeroflot flights, according to its director general, Vladamir A. Nacharov.

Asked if the Soviet airline was currently serving meals on its flights, Nacharov drew a hefty helping of laughter from about 75 people gathered in a Soviet Embassy ceremonial room when he answered: “Sometimes.”

The venture, which will serve both international and domestic Aeroflot flights, will be the first contract food service operation in the Soviet Union involving a Western company, said J. W. Marriott Jr., chairman and president of Marriott Corp. Currently, Marriott caters Aeroflot flights in New York, Washington, London and Manchester, England and Paris.

Under terms of the agreement, formally signed in Moscow last month, Marriott will participate in the renovation and modernization of the existing flight kitchen located at Moscow’s Sheremetjevo Airport, the largest airport in the Soviet Union.

The Moscow facility also will be one of the largest airline kitchens in the Marriott system.