What TLD does

TLD is a French industrial company specializing in the design, manufacture, distribution, and after-sales service of aviation ground support equipment (GSE), headquartered in Paris and operating under the ALVEST Group. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio spanning towbarless and conventional aircraft tractors, passenger steps, cargo loaders (7.5t-36t), transporters, baggage tractors, belt loaders, trailers and dollies, air starters, air conditioners, ground power units, lavatory and water trucks, and maintenance platforms. Beyond conventional equipment, TLD has developed proprietary advanced technologies including the TractEasy autonomous Level 4 electric baggage tractor (in partnership with EasyMile), the TaxiBot hybrid semi-robotic aircraft towing vehicle, the iBS proprietary lithium-ion battery system, the ASD+ aircraft safe docking assistance system, and the LINK real-time fleet management platform.

TLD operates 11 international manufacturing facilities across France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, and India (newly opened in Bengaluru in 2024), and maintains 45+ sales and service offices serving customers in 150+ countries. The company sells quote-based B2B equipment through a direct enterprise field sales model with regional teams covering Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and India. Customers include commercial airlines, airports, cargo operators, ground handling companies, and military/government organizations. TLD positions itself as the market leader in electric GSE — with electric products representing the majority of sales from 2020 — under its "Leaner & Greener" environmental program, and was originally taken private when acquired by ALVEST in 2006 from a lineage dating back to 1897.

Name

TLD

Legal name

TLD GROUP SAS

Website

https://tldgse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Short description

TLD designs, manufactures, and services aviation ground support equipment (GSE) — including aircraft tractors, loaders, baggage tractors, and GPUs — selling through direct enterprise sales to airlines, airports, ground handlers, cargo operators, and defense organizations across 150+ countries via 11 factories and 45+ service offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. GSE Hardware Sales: Primary revenue from design, manufacture, and distribution of ground support equipment including aircraft tractors, loaders, passenger steps, belt loaders, trailers, GPUs, air conditioners, and specialized GSE. Products sold directly to airports, airlines, ground handlers, and defense organizations worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

TLD designs, manufactures, distributes, and services a complete range of aviation ground support equipment (GSE) — including towbarless and conventional aircraft tractors, baggage tractors, belt loaders, cargo loaders, passenger steps, ground power units, air conditioners, lavatory and water trucks, and maintenance platforms — sold to airlines, airports, ground handlers, cargo operators, and defense organizations worldwide. In parallel, the company develops and sells proprietary high-technology products such as the TractEasy autonomous electric baggage tractor, TaxiBot hybrid towing vehicle, iBS lithium battery system, ASD+ aircraft safe docking system, and LINK fleet management platform under its "Leaner & Greener" program.

Product overview

TLD is a leading industrial company specializing in the design, manufacture, distribution, and after-sales service of aviation Ground Support Equipment (GSE). The company operates under the Alvest Group and offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into two main categories: conventional GSE products including towbarless aircraft tractors, conventional aircraft tractors, passenger steps, loaders (7.5t-36t including the reGen electric series), transporters, baggage tractors, belt loaders, trailers and dollies, air starters, air conditioners, ground power units, lavatory and water trucks, and maintenance platforms. Additionally, TLD provides advanced technology products including TractEasy (autonomous Level 4 electric baggage tractor), TaxiBot (hybrid semi-robotic aircraft towing vehicle), ASD+ aircraft safe docking system, iBS proprietary lithium-ion battery system, LINK fleet management solution, and complete electric GSE lines. The company emphasizes its 'Leaner & Greener' environmental program with zero-emission and sustainable equipment solutions. TLD maintains 10 factories and over 45 sales and service offices worldwide, offering local support and total commitment to customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TractEasy: Autonomous electric baggage tractor - Level 4 autonomous vehicle for airport ground support operations
• TaxiBot
• iBS
• ASD+
• LINK

Products and services

• Towbarless Aircraft Tractors

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero emissions, zero noise, zero vibration with JET-16 electric baggage tractor
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maini GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2024Joint collaboration for manufacturing operations in India. TLD opened first factory in Bengaluru in partnership with Maini Group. The partnership enables local manufacturing of Leaner & Greener GSE for Indian and export markets, representing TLD's commitment to manufacture in India, for India, and for the rest of the world.
• Millennium Aero Dynamics Private LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2024Joint collaboration for manufacturing operations in India. Partnership builds on 33-year relationship with TLD. Joint venture enables local manufacturing of sustainable GSE for Indian market and export.
• EasyMilecoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership to develop TractEasy - the first autonomous baggage tractor. EasyMile provides autonomous driving technology while TLD provides ground support equipment expertise and manufacturing capability.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)minorOthersIndustry association membership demonstrating commitment to aviation industry standards and collaboration.
• IAEMA (International Air Equipment Maintenance Association)minorOthersIndustry association membership for ground support equipment maintenance standards.
• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALVEST (TLD parent) joined UN Global Compact as member of French Chapter in 2021, committing to ten principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
• Solar Impulse FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaxiBot and TractEasy recognized as clean and profitable solutions meeting high standards of environmental protection and economic viability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TLD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries15 records

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 TLD