Kassel Airport

What Kassel Airport does

Flughafen GmbH Kassel operates Kassel Airport (IATA: KSF, ICAO: EDVK), a regional commercial airport situated in Calden, Hesse, Germany, approximately 20 km northwest of Kassel. The facility spans 220 hectares and features a 2,500 m instrument runway equipped with ILS CAT IIIb, an 8,250 m² terminal, and CAT 6 firefighting capability. Established as a commercial operation in 2013 to replace the prior general-aviation airfield, it is wholly owned by the State of Hesse (Land Hessen). Lars Ernst has served as Managing Director since April 2017, and the broader airport site supports approximately 1,100 employees across all on-site companies.

The airport serves a heterogeneous customer base spanning leisure passengers, cargo operators, business aviation users, and on-site industrial tenants. Leisure traffic is distributed via tour-operator partnerships with Schauinsland-Reisen, momento and vianova, and a rotating roster of carriers including Sundair (which has maintained a permanent base since 2017), Rhein-Neckar-Air, Sky Alps, Aegean Airlines, MHS Aviation and, as of 2024, Alba Star (operating a Boeing 737-800 to Mallorca). Cargo operations are anchored by GLS as a long-tenured freight customer alongside DP Trading & Consulting in auto logistics. The Aviation Industry Park on-site hosts roughly 40 commercial tenants, providing non-aeronautical diversification.

Revenue is generated through aeronautical fees (passenger transaction fees, landing and ground-handling charges) and a broad non-aeronautical mix that includes self-operated Jet A1 fuel supply (since April 2023, with Avgas continued via TotalEnergies), parking (including the P3 facility opened in 2018), commercial real estate leases, event hosting, retail and advertising, and business aviation/FBO services. Key strategic milestones include the 100,000-passenger threshold crossed in 2018 and an expanded 2026 group-travel program adding Jersey, Calabria, Zakynthos, Crete and Finnish Lappland destinations.

Name

Kassel Airport

Legal name

Flughafen GmbH Kassel

Website

https://kassel-airport.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kassel Airport (Flughafen GmbH Kassel) is a state-owned regional commercial airport in Calden, Hesse, serving leisure passengers via tour-operator partnerships, cargo operators including GLS, and an on-site Aviation Industry Park of approximately 40 commercial tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Airport Operations

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811), Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Air Courier Services (4513), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation Infrastructure Agencies (Public Airports, Airfield Ops, Ground Access) (BPAIALAE)

Keywords

• Regional airport services
• Commercial passenger flights
• Business aviation handling
• Airport ground handling
• Aviation fuel supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Calden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fees and Ground Services: Revenue from passenger processing, check-in services, security, and ground handling services including aircraft deicing, fueling, and ground traffic services
2. Jet Fuel Supply: Direct fuel supply operations for Jet A1 (self-operated since April 2023) and Avgas 100LL (via TotalEnergies)
3. Business Aviation: Services for private aviation including Fly-Ins, maintenance, charter, and dedicated General Aviation Terminal
4. Commercial Real Estate: Rental of office spaces and commercial objects at the Aviation Industry Park, approximately 40 companies operating at the site
5. Event Hosting: Venue rentals for events, conferences, and celebrations in the terminal building and airport grounds
6. Parking Services: Parking facilities including P3 with 500 free parking spaces near terminal
7. Cargo Operations: Freight handling services including Luftexpressfracht with GLS as major customer
8. Retail and Advertising: Gastronomy, shops, and advertising opportunities in terminal

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kassel Airport is a regional German airport that operates scheduled and charter passenger flights, primarily to Mediterranean leisure destinations, alongside general aviation handling services. It also provides ground handling, cargo handling, aviation fuel (Jet A-1 and Avgas 100LL), and leases commercial property in its on-site Aviation Industry Park (Aeropark) to aerospace and related businesses.

Product overview

Kassel Airport operates as a regional commercial airport (IATA: KSF, ICAO: EDVK) offering a diversified portfolio of aviation and non-aviation services. Core operations include commercial passenger flights with multiple airline partners and scheduled charter services, business aviation operations at the dedicated General Aviation Terminal (900 m²), and an Aviation Industry Park with commercial real estate. Ground handling services encompass passenger processing (10 check-in counters, 3 security lanes), aircraft fueling (Jet A1, Avgas 100LL), de-icing, and line maintenance. Non-aviation revenue streams include free parking (P3 expansion), event venue rental in terminal facilities, office space leasing, visitor tours, and recreational aviation experiences (flight simulator, round flights, parachuting). The airport features an 8,250 m² terminal, 2,500m runway with CAT IIIb ILS, and accommodates approximately 40 companies with 1,100 employees at the location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aviation Industry Park (Gewerbepark Kassel Airport): Commercial/aviation-affine business park on the former airfield site, approximately 65 hectares.
• Business-Aviation

Products and services

• Scheduled and Charter Passenger Flights

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ passengers served in 2018, exceeding 100,000 milestone for first time
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Up&AwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatering and gastronomy partner at Kassel Airport. Located at Fieseler-Storch-Str. 40. Contact via +49 5674 2153-195.
• FAC-Events & Verleih GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent technology, furniture rental, and equipment partner. Located at Leipziger Strasse 296, 34123 Kassel. Contact +49 561 8161820.
• LenzEventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent marketing agency. Located at Bodelschwinghstraße 5, 34119 Kassel. Contact +49 0561 72884-0.
• fliegende Köche by Christoph BrandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatering partner. Located at Lilienthalstraße 15. Contact +49 561 9885301.
• Party CoutureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent decoration and party services. Located at Leipziger Straße 407. Contact +49 561 7298990.
• Schauinsland-ReisencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor tour operator partner for charter flights and package holidays. Contact +49 203 99405-0.
• momento by Frölich-ReisencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharter travel partner offering flights from Kassel to destinations including Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Madeira. Frölich-Reisen has 140 years of experience.
• vianova GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized tour operator for charter flights including Lappland, Jordanien, and Italy. Based in Weimar.
• SundaircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman airline operating scheduled and charter flights from Kassel. Has stationed aircraft at the airport.
• Rhein-Neckar-AircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman premium airline operating flights to Sylt and Usedom from Kassel. Based in Mannheim.
• Sky Alps GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAirline partner. Contact +39 0471 060950.
• MHS AviationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAirline partner. Contact +49 89 97 33333.
• GLS (General Logistic Systems)coreOthersGermany's fourth largest parcel service using Kassel Airport for Luftexpressfracht since January 2017.
• TotalEnergiescoreOthersAvgas 100LL fuel supplier at Kassel Airport since April 2023.
• DP Trading & ConsultingminorOthersAutomobile logistics service provider renting airport surfaces for logistics operations.
• Aegean AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreek airline operating flights to Athens from Kassel, including during documenta 14.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bremen Airport: Regional German airport of comparable scale serving a secondary city (Bremen), with a mix of scheduled and charter traffic. Notably relevant given that Managing Director Lars Ernst previously held an Operations Manager role at Bremen Airport Service GmbH.
• Saarbrücken Airport: Small German regional airport with mixed scheduled and charter traffic, comparable scale and state-ownership characteristics, facing similar hub-competition pressures.
• Weeze Airport (Niederrhein): Leisure-focused German regional airport historically serving low-cost carriers, similar in scale and niche positioning for non-business travel from a regional catchment.
• Dortmund Airport: German regional airport with leisure and low-cost carrier mix, comparable passenger volumes, and similar competition dynamics with nearby major hubs (Düsseldorf).
• Friedrichshafen Airport: Small regional German airport on Lake Constance with comparable scale, leisure/charter focus, and similar catchment-area dynamics serving a secondary population base.
• Memmingen Airport: Small Bavarian regional airport with leisure/low-cost focus serving a secondary catchment in southern Germany, structurally comparable to Kassel's regional/leisure position.
• Münster Osnabrück Airport (FMO): German regional airport serving a two-city catchment with similar passenger volumes and a mix of scheduled and charter services to Mediterranean leisure destinations.
• Rostock-Laage Airport: German regional airport with leisure/charter traffic to Mediterranean destinations, comparable passenger scale, and ownership by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — a structural twin to Kassel's Land Hessen ownership.
• Paderborn Lippstadt Airport: Comparable small German regional airport with similar passenger scale (~100-200k range), strong leisure/charter orientation, and state/municipal ownership structure.
• Erfurt-Weimar Airport: Regional German airport in Thuringia of similar scale, with a leisure/charter mix and secondary-city catchment. Closely comparable in operating model and partnership structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Kassel Airport