Losch Airport Service

What Losch Airport Service does

Losch Airport Service is a family-owned German aviation ground handling company founded in 1990 at Stuttgart Airport by Werner Losch, with Marc Losch assuming management in 1994. The company delivers a full portfolio of airport services — aircraft handling (loading/unloading, push-back, de-icing, toilet/water service, flight preparation), passenger handling (check-in, boarding, gate services, special assistance, ticketing, baggage tracing), aircraft cleaning (transit and nightstop), airfreight and night airmail handling, and aircraft guarding/sealing. It serves commercial passenger airlines, cargo integrators (notably DHL and Deutsche Post), low-cost carriers (Ryanair), and regional airports through licensed operations at Stuttgart (headquarters), Munich (Swissport Losch joint venture), Köln/Bonn (WISAG LOSCH joint venture), Weeze (serve2fly with Heico Aviation), Memmingen, and Berlin (Airlink Passage Service). Across all locations the company handles approximately 250,000 flights per year and employs around 1,100 staff, with 346 vehicles and 927 equipment units deployed.

The business runs on B2B service contracts negotiated through EU-wide competitive airport ground handling licensing processes, currently holding 7-year licenses at Stuttgart (third consecutive, effective June 2017) and Munich. Its technical differentiator is a proprietary electric apron fleet — 14 electric tugs, electric conveyor belts, electric StreetScooters for cabin cleaning, and Nissan eNV200 vehicles — developed in-house through LOSCH Airport Equipment GmbH (founded 2001 by Dr. Max Losch) and validated in a 2016–2020 scale-up project with Öko-Institut e.V. and Flughafen Stuttgart, partially funded (€1.94M of €4.5M) by the Federal Ministry for Environment. Since October 2018, this fleet has delivered nearly 100% emission-free apron operations at Stuttgart with up to 60% energy savings, and the company is targeting 100% emission-free apron mobility across its footprint by 2035. The company is the only family-managed aviation service provider in Germany and is certified to ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and TÜV Süd quality management standards.

Name

Losch Airport Service

Legal name

Losch Airport Service GmbH

Website

https://loschairportservice.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Losch Airport Service is a family-owned German aviation ground handling company providing aircraft handling, passenger services, cleaning, and airfreight operations across Stuttgart, Munich, Köln/Bonn, Weeze, Memmingen, and Berlin, serving commercial airlines and freight operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Ground Handling Services

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811), Other Airport Operations (488119)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

General Cargo Air Freight Forwarding (Airport-to-Airport / Door-to-Door) (TLACAAAA)

Keywords

• Aircraft ground handling
• Passenger handling services
• Aircraft cabin cleaning
• Air cargo handling
• Airport apron services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ground Handling Services: Core revenue stream from aircraft handling services including loading/unloading, push-back, flight preparation, de-icing, toilet/water service, and ground transport. Services provided 24/7 at German airports.
2. Passenger Handling Services: Passenger processing including check-in, boarding, gate services, ticketing, baggage tracing, and special assistance for passengers with disabilities.
3. Aircraft Cleaning: Transit and nightstop cleaning services for airline cabins, maintaining passenger experience standards.
4. Airfreight and Mail Handling: Cargo handling, sorting, and mail processing services at Stuttgart and Munich locations, including night air mail operations for Deutsche Post.
5. Aircraft Guarding and Sealing: Security services for parked aircraft including access monitoring and sealing operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Losch Airport Service provides ground handling, passenger handling, aircraft cleaning, airfreight handling, night airmail handling, and aircraft guarding/sealing services for airlines and air cargo operators at multiple German airports. Operations are delivered 24/7 through the Stuttgart headquarters, a Swissport joint venture at Munich, a WISAG joint venture at Köln/Bonn, and serve2fly at Weeze/Niederrhein, supported by an in-house equipment innovation subsidiary.

Product overview

Losch Airport Service is a family-owned ground handling and aviation services company offering a comprehensive suite of airport operations services. The core portfolio consists of six interconnected service lines: Aircraft Handling (Flugzeugabfertigung), Passenger Handling (Passagierabfertigung), Aircraft Cleaning (Flugzeugreinigung), Airfreight Handling (Luftfrachtumschlag), Night Airmail Handling (Nachtluftpostumschlag), and Aircraft Guarding and Sealing. These services are delivered across multiple German airports (Stuttgart, Munich, Köln/Bonn, Weeze) through various operating entities including the parent company, the Swissport Losch joint venture in Munich, serve2fly in Weeze, and WISAG LOSCH in Köln/Bonn. The subsidiary LOSCH Airport Equipment GmbH develops specialized electric vehicles and equipment for the operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flugzeugabfertigung (Aircraft Handling) Core ground handling for aircraft including loading/unloading of luggage, freight and mail, flight operations and crew services, aircraft de-icing, flight preparation, cargo securing, push-back, cleaning, start-up assistance, toilet/water service, and ground transport. Delivered for commercial airlines at licensed German airports.
• Passagierabfertigung (Passenger Handling) Passenger processing including check-in, boarding, gate-area passenger care, transport of passengers with disabilities, ticketing, and baggage tracing for airline customers.
• Flugzeugreinigung (Aircraft Cleaning) Aircraft cabin cleaning services including transit and nightstop cleaning to maintain hygiene and cleanliness standards for airline customers.
• Luftfrachtumschlag (Airfreight Handling) Air cargo handling at Stuttgart and Munich airports including unloading aircraft containers, sorting shipments, scanning, and loading at stations for express and standard cargo carriers.
• Flugzeugbewachung- und Versiegelung (Aircraft Guarding and Sealing) Security services for aircraft including initial approach after landing, access staircase monitoring, complete guarding of parked aircraft, and aircraft sealing for airline customers.
• Nachtluftpostumschlag (Night Airmail Handling) Night airmail handling services for Deutsche Post AG, processing approximately 15,000 tonnes of mail per year at Stuttgart Airport.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% energy savings through electric vehicle fleet at Stuttgart airport
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WISAG Aviation Service GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2016Joint venture WISAG LOSCH Passage Service Köln for passenger handling services at Köln/Bonn Airport. Started October 2016, handling approximately 7,000 Ryanair flights annually with initial 50 employees.
• Swissport International AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2009Joint venture Swissport Losch GmbH & Co. OHG established 2009 for ground handling operations at Munich Airport. Won 7-year ground handling license through competitive EU-wide bidding. Operations started March 2010. Now employs approximately 700 people and handles 190,000 flights annually.
• Flughafen Stuttgart GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Co-founding partner in AGS Airport Ground Service GmbH (now SAG Stuttgart Airport Ground Handling GmbH) for aircraft handling and passenger transport at Stuttgart Airport. Long-term operational partnership.
• Serve2fly (Heico Losch Airport Service GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Regional joint venture at Weeze/Niederrhein Airport since 2005, providing ground handling and passenger services for approximately 2.5 million passengers annually.
• Heico AviationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2004Emergency response partnership formed when competitor failed. Together with Heico Aviation, established complete new handling operation and de-icing services within days for Flughafen Niederrhein.
• Deutsche Post AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2001Long-term night air mail handling contract at Stuttgart Airport since founding era. Established headquarters location in night air mail facility.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• AHS Aviation Handling Services: Hamburg-based ground handling company serving northern German airports. Directly comparable in scope (ramp, passenger, cargo handling) and target customers (commercial airlines), competing for the same regional German market.
• Aviapartner: Belgium-headquartered European ground handling group with operations in Germany. Competes for handling licenses and airline contracts across multiple European markets, making it a close functional peer even though it does not operate at Losch's specific airports.

Broad incumbents

• Worldwide Flight Services (WFS): France-based global air cargo and ground handling company operating at major European airports. Competes with Losch especially in the airfreight and mail handling segment where Losch handles Deutsche Post and DHL volumes.
• dnata: Emirates-owned global airport services company offering ground handling, cargo, and travel services. A direct functional competitor across the same service lines (ramp, passenger, cargo) at airports worldwide.
• Fraport Ground Services: Subsidiary of Fraport AG, the operator of Frankfurt Airport, providing ground handling at Germany's largest hub. Competes indirectly with Losch for premium airline handling contracts and represents the incumbent/vertically-integrated airport operator model.
• Aeroground Flughafen München: Lufthansa-affiliated ground handling provider at Munich Airport, directly competing with Swissport Losch at the same airport for airline contracts on apron, passenger, and cargo services.
• Menzies Aviation: UK-based global ground handling and aviation services company with presence at major European airports. Provides directly comparable ramp, passenger, and cargo handling services to commercial airlines.

Direct peers

• Swissport International: Global market leader in airport ground handling services. Swissport is Losch's JV partner at Munich (Swissport Losch) and directly competes for licenses at other German airports; both serve the same commercial airlines with ramp, passenger, and cargo handling under EU licensing.
• Heico Aviation: German aviation services group and Losch's JV partner at Weeze (Serve2fly). Provides overlapping ground handling and emergency response services at regional German airports, sharing operational know-how with Losch since 2004.
• WISAG Aviation Service: German aviation services provider and Losch's JV partner at Köln/Bonn. Offers comparable passenger and ground handling services to airlines at German airports, competing for the same handling licenses and airline contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Losch Airport Service