GAT Airline Ground Support

What GAT Airline Ground Support does

GAT Airline Ground Support, Inc. is a US-based outsourced aviation services company that provides ground handling, cargo handling, and airline catering (operated under the Sky Café brand) to commercial airline customers. The company operated at approximately 70 airports across the United States and Canada with roughly 6,000 employees prior to its February 2026 acquisition by PrimeFlight Aviation Services. Its core service lines are ramp operations, baggage handling, aircraft turnaround, freight loading/processing, and in-flight catering — delivered as B2B contracts with airline operators, with pricing not publicly disclosed and revenue generated on a transaction/service-fee basis tied to flight operations and cargo volume.

GAT was a privately held company owned by private equity firm Atlantic Street Capital from 2017 until its sale to PrimeFlight in February 2026. During Atlantic Street Capital's eight-year hold, GAT expanded into Canada and added catering as a third service pillar through a strategic acquisition. The company was headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia and was legally domiciled in Georgia as a corporation. Post-acquisition, GAT's footprint, employees, and Sky Café brand were absorbed into PrimeFlight Aviation Services, which now operates at more than 250 airports and service locations across six continents, offering fueling, ground handling, cargo handling, GSE maintenance, passenger services, and security services in addition to the inherited GAT capabilities.

The business model is service- and labor-intensive rather than technology-driven: revenue is tied to the volume of aircraft turns, baggage and cargo movements, and meals produced, with no disclosed proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, software product, or digital channel. Customer concentration is in the commercial airline vertical, with specific airline customers not publicly named in available sources. The company's competitive position rests on its airport footprint, multi-service bundling, and the operational switching costs inherent in airline ground handling relationships rather than on technology or data assets.

Name

GAT Airline Ground Support

Legal name

GAT Airline Ground Support, Inc.

Website

https://wearegat.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

GAT Airline Ground Support is a US-based outsourced aviation services provider delivering ground handling, cargo handling, and airline catering (Sky Café) to commercial airline operators across approximately 70 airports in the United States and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Ground Support Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (48819)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Ground Handling (Ramp, Baggage, Turnaround) (THABAIAC)

Keywords

• Airline ground handling
• Cargo handling services
• Airline catering services
• Aircraft turnaround services
• Ramp operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ground Handling Services: Provides ground handling services to airlines at airports including ramp operations, baggage handling, and aircraft turnaround services
2. Cargo Handling Services: Cargo handling services for airlines including loading/unloading and cargo processing
3. Catering Services (Sky Café): Airline catering services operating under the Sky Café brand

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

GAT Airline Ground Support provides outsourced aviation ground services to commercial airlines at airports across the United States and Canada. Its core offering spans three integrated service lines: ground handling (ramp operations, baggage handling, aircraft turnaround), cargo handling (loading, unloading, freight processing), and in-flight catering delivered under the Sky Café sub-brand. The company operates at nearly 70 airports with approximately 6,000 employees.

Product overview

GAT Airline Ground Support is a provider of ground handling, cargo handling, and catering services to airlines. The company operates a single unified service model consisting of three core service lines: ground handling services (ramp operations, baggage handling, aircraft turnaround), cargo handling services (freight processing), and catering services branded as Sky Café. GAT previously operated as a private equity-owned independent company headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, with approximately 6,000 employees serving nearly 70 airports across the United States and Canada. The company was acquired by PrimeFlight Aviation Services in February 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sky Café: Catering services brand operated by GAT Airline Ground Support

Products and services

• Ground Handling Services

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PrimeFlight Aviation ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026PrimeFlight Aviation Services acquired GAT Airline Ground Support in February 2026. The acquisition significantly expanded PrimeFlight's footprint, adding GAT's nearly 70 airports and 6,000 employees. Post-acquisition, PrimeFlight operates at more than 250 airports and service locations across six continents and now offers catering services through the Sky Café brand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• dnata: Emirates Group-owned ground handling and in-flight catering provider operating at airports worldwide. Directly comparable to GAT across ground handling and the Sky Café catering business.
• Swissport International: World's largest provider of airport ground services and cargo handling, operating at hundreds of airports globally. Directly comparable to GAT's ground handling and cargo service lines, often competing in the same airline RFPs.
• Celebi Aviation Holding: Turkish-based ground handling and cargo services company operating at numerous airports globally. Comparable offering to GAT's ramp, baggage, and cargo handling service lines, particularly for carriers with international route networks.
• Worldwide Flight Services (WFS): Global air cargo and ground handling services provider with operations across multiple continents. Directly competes with GAT in cargo handling and aircraft turnaround services for airline customers.
• Menzies Aviation: Major global ground handling and air cargo services provider operating at more than 200 airports. Competes head-to-head with GAT for airline ground handling and cargo contracts across North America and other regions.
• PrimeFlight Aviation Services: Parent company of GAT following the February 2026 acquisition. Operates fueling, ground handling, cargo, GSE maintenance, passenger, and security services at 250+ airports globally; GAT's ground handling, cargo, and Sky Café services now sit within this combined platform.
• LSG Sky Chefs: Lufthansa-owned airline catering and hospitality services provider with global operations. Directly comparable to GAT's Sky Café catering division and competes for in-flight catering contracts at shared airline customers.
• Gate Gourmet: Global airline catering and in-flight services provider serving major carriers worldwide. Most directly comparable to GAT's Sky Café catering business and competes for the same catering contracts at shared airline customers.

Broad incumbents

• SATS Ltd: Singapore-based provider of airport services, ground handling, and in-flight catering with operations across Asia and other regions. Comparable to GAT across ground handling and catering service lines, though primarily Asia-focused.

Emerging players

• AGS (Aviation Ground Services): Ground handling provider focused on specific markets including parts of Africa and the Middle East. Smaller and more regional than GAT but competes for similar airline ground handling contracts in shared markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gat-airline-ground-support

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GAT Airline Ground Support