AirSupport Group
AirSupport Group is a privately held El Salvador-based aviation services holding company providing integrated ground handling, passenger, cargo, MRO, security, and training services to 20+ airlines across airports in El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersAntiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AirSupport Group does
AirSupport Group is a privately held aviation services holding company headquartered in Antiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador, that provides integrated ground handling, passenger, cargo, maintenance, and security services to commercial, cargo, corporate, and military aviation operators. Founded in the 1980s with six employees and a single forklift, the company has grown over 35+ years to employ more than 1,000 people and serve more than 20 international airlines including Delta, United, American, Copa Airlines, Aeroméxico, Avianca, Iberia, Spirit, Frontier, and DHL. It operates from three Central American international airports — El Salvador International Airport (SAL), Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (SAP) in Honduras, and Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama — under ISAGO certification from IATA and OMA 145 maintenance certification under AAC/FAA regulations.
The company's service portfolio spans ramp operations (aircraft parking, towing, GPU/ACU, pushback, baggage and cabin servicing), passenger services (check-in, boarding, PRM assistance), cargo handling (GHA/GSSA), certified aircraft maintenance (MRO), ground support equipment (GSE) supply and maintenance, air dispatch, corporate aviation coordination (CorpAv), airport security (AirSecurity/AVSEC), and aeronautical training through the wholly-owned AeroTech Institute. Its technology stack includes a recently modernized fleet of 40+ eco-efficient GSE units equipped with HMI electronic loading systems, a regional-unique Operations Control Center integrating real-time operational traceability, and a 2025-launched "Ground Handling 4.0" initiative focused on process digitization and sustainability. Sub-brands (CorpAv, AirSecurity, AeroTech, AirDispatch) are operated as integrated divisions under a single corporate umbrella.
AirSupport generates revenue through contracted B2B enterprise sales directly to airline and cargo operators, with services priced on a per-operation basis under quote-based contracts. Go-to-market is anchored on long-standing direct relationships, safety and maintenance certifications that lower airline onboarding friction, and dedicated airport-based operations teams. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, appears to be founder/management-led under CEO Iván Navarro, and has historically reinvested operating cash flow into fleet modernization and geographic expansion — most recently committing more than $2 million to GSE fleet renewal in 2025.
AirSupport Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AirSupport Group
- Legal name
- Air Support Group
- Website
- https://go-airsupport.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- AirSupport Group is a privately held El Salvador-based aviation services holding company providing integrated ground handling, passenger, cargo, MRO, security, and training services to 20+ airlines across airports in El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AirSupport Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aviation Ground Handling Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)
- SIC
- Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ground Handling (Ramp, Baggage, Turnaround) (THABAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Flight Operations Control & Dispatch (OCC/IOCC) (THABAIAA)
Keywords
Where AirSupport Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Antiguo Cuscatlán
- HQ country
- El Salvador
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices5 records
Markets served
AirSupport Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Ground Handling Services: Ramp services including aircraft parking, towing, GPU, air conditioning, water service, lavatory service, cabin cleaning, and pushback services. Revenue generated through service fees charged to airlines per operation.
- Passenger Services: Check-in assistance, boarding management, baggage area assistance, airline ticket issuance, and PRM (Passengers with Reduced Mobility) assistance
- Cargo Handling (GHA/GSSA): Cargo receipt, documentation verification, capacity planning, cargo scheduling for import/export operations
- Aircraft Maintenance (MRO): Preventive and corrective maintenance services under OMA 145 certification, including scheduled checkups and minor repairs
- Ground Support Equipment Supply and Maintenance: Supply and maintenance of state-of-the-art GSE equipment to airlines
- Air Dispatch Services: Flight planning and coordination including permits, routes, and documentation management
- Corporate Aviation (CorpAv): Coordination of permits, overflights, VIP services, meet & greet, fast tracking, hotel/transport coordination, catering, and concierge services
- Aeronautical Training (AeroTech): Specialized training and education for aviation industry professionals
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
AirSupport Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AirSupport Group provides integrated aviation ground handling, passenger, cargo, and aircraft maintenance services to commercial, cargo, corporate, and military airline operators. The company operates an Operations Control Center that coordinates ramp operations, GSE fleet deployment, and service delivery across airports in El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama. It also sells and maintains ground support equipment and runs AeroTech, an aviation training institute.
Product overview
AirSupport Group is a comprehensive aviation services holding company offering an integrated portfolio of airport services for commercial, corporate, and military airlines. The portfolio includes Ramp Services for ground aircraft management, Passenger Services and PRM assistance, Cargo/GHA services for freight handling, Ground Support Equipment (GSE) supply and maintenance, AirSecurity, Aviation Maintenance (MRO), Air Dispatch, AeroTech Institute for training, and CorpAv for corporate aviation. The company operates across three locations (El Salvador, Honduras, Panama) with over 1,000 employees, serving thousands of flights annually. Key differentiators include ISAGO certification, OMA 145 maintenance certification, and a proprietary Operations Control Center integrating technology for service coordination.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Aerotech Institute: Training center for aviation professionals and social enterprise dedicated to talent development and excellence in the aviation industry
- CorpAv
- AirSecurity
- AirDispatch / Despachos Aéreos
Products and services
- Ramp Services
- Passenger Services
- PRM Assistance (Passengers with Reduced Mobility)
- General Handling Agent (GHA) Cargo Services
- Air Freight / Cargo Services
- Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Supply and Maintenance
- AirSecurity
- Aviation Maintenance (MRO)
- Air Dispatch Services
- CorpAv (Corporate Aviation Services)
- AeroTech Institute (Aviation Training)
Companies that use AirSupport Group
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AirSupport Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
AirSupport Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Aerocluster El SalvadorflagshipAirSupport Group is a founding member of Aerocluster El Salvador. CEO Iván Navarro serves as president of the cluster. The partnership focuses on driving innovation, collaboration, and competitiveness in the Salvadoran and Central American aviation sector through joint initiatives between companies, academia, and government.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AirSupport Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Worldwide Flight Services (WFS / SATS): Major global air cargo and ground handling operator, now part of SATS. Competes with AirSupport in cargo handling (GHA/GSSA) and ramp services for international carriers in the Americas.
- dnata: Emirates-owned global air services provider offering ramp, passenger, cargo, and GSE solutions across six continents. Competes head-to-head with AirSupport for the same commercial, cargo, and corporate airline customers at international airports.
- Swissport International: Global leader in airport ground services, cargo handling, and aviation security with operations across more than 280 airports. A direct competitor to AirSupport for international airline ground handling contracts, particularly at Latin American gateways.
- Celebi Aviation: Turkey-based independent ground handler with growing Latin American presence offering ramp, cargo, and passenger services. A direct competitor for regional airline contracts and a comparable in size and service mix to AirSupport.
- Menzies Aviation: One of the world's largest independent ground handling and cargo operators, providing ramp, passenger, and cargo services at hundreds of airports. Directly comparable to AirSupport as a competing third-party ground handler pursuing anchor airline contracts at international gateways.
- Avia Solutions Group (Aviapartner): Avia Solutions Group owns Aviapartner and offers end-to-end ground handling across European and select international airports. Comparable to AirSupport as a multi-service ground handler targeting airline clients with bundled ramp, passenger, and cargo offerings.
Broad incumbents
- SATS (Singapore Airport Terminal Services): Asia-headquartered global ground handling and in-flight catering giant with cross-continental reach following its acquisition of WFS. A broad incumbent comparable to AirSupport's full-service ground handling model, operating at far greater scale and geographic reach.
Regional players
- AERIS Holding: Operates Juan Santamaría and Tobías Bolaños airports in Costa Rica with integrated ground handling. Comparable to AirSupport as a Central American operator combining airport-adjacent services with handling across multiple service lines.
- Aeroman: El Salvador-based MRO provider (a current AirSupport customer) operating line maintenance and base maintenance. Comparable to AirSupport's MRO and GSE maintenance offering within the same Salvadoran aviation ecosystem.
- COOPESA (Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aero): Costa Rica-based MRO and ground handling cooperative at Juan Santamaría International Airport. Directly comparable Central American regional competitor offering overlapping ramp and aircraft maintenance services to similar airline clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AirSupport Group social profiles
Digital presenceAirSupport Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
AirSupport Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AirSupport Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
AirSupport Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AirSupport Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AirSupport Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AirSupport Group
What does AirSupport Group do?
AirSupport Group provides integrated aviation ground handling, passenger, cargo, and aircraft maintenance services to commercial, cargo, corporate, and military airline operators. The company operates an Operations Control Center that coordinates ramp operations, GSE fleet deployment, and service delivery across airports in El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama. It also sells and maintains ground support equipment and runs AeroTech, an aviation training institute.
Is AirSupport Group a public or private company?
AirSupport Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AirSupport Group founded?
AirSupport Group was founded in 1980. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is AirSupport Group based?
AirSupport Group is headquartered in Antiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador, in the Latin America region.
How does AirSupport Group make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Ground Handling Services are the primary driver. The others are passenger Services, cargo Handling (GHA/GSSA), aircraft Maintenance (MRO), ground Support Equipment Supply and Maintenance, air Dispatch Services, corporate Aviation (CorpAv) and aeronautical Training (AeroTech).
Who are AirSupport Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Worldwide Flight Services (WFS / SATS), dnata, Swissport International, Celebi Aviation, Menzies Aviation and Avia Solutions Group (Aviapartner). SATS (Singapore Airport Terminal Services) is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are AERIS Holding, Aeroman and COOPESA (Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aero).
Does AirSupport Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for AirSupport Group.
What industry is AirSupport Group in?
AirSupport Group's product category is Aviation Ground Handling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAIAC, Ground Handling (Ramp, Baggage, Turnaround), with a secondary code of THABAIAA, Flight Operations Control & Dispatch (OCC/IOCC). Its NAICS code is 4881 and its SIC code is 4581.