The acquisition of German software specialist Airsphere strengthens dormakaba’s position in the global airport market, adding passenger management and e-gate software to its security portfolio. The deal also reflects a broader shift in aviation infrastructure, where physical access, digital identity and passenger processing are becoming increasingly interconnected.
dormakaba is expanding its airport business with the acquisition of Airsphere GmbH, a German software company specializing in passenger management systems. The transaction, completed on May 18, 2026, adds an established portfolio of airport software to dormakaba’s existing access and security capabilities.
For dormakaba, the acquisition represents a strategic move further into the digital layer of airport infrastructure. While the company has traditionally been associated with access solutions and physical security, Airsphere brings software designed to automate passenger processing, airport logistics and related security processes.
The combination positions dormakaba to address a market in which airports are increasingly looking beyond individual security products towards integrated systems connecting access, identity, passenger flows and operational data.
Established at More Than 250 Airports
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Seefeld, Germany, Airsphere has built an international footprint covering more than 250 airports worldwide.
Its technology is used at major aviation hubs including London Heathrow, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Beijing, Newark, Orlando, Vienna, Zurich, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangalore.
A key part of the portfolio is GateControl, Airsphere’s software platform for automated e-gates. According to the company, the technology currently operates across more than 8,000 airport e-gates worldwide and supports the processing of more than one billion passengers annually.
That installed base gives dormakaba immediate access to an established segment of the aviation technology market and significantly expands its capabilities beyond the physical access point itself.
From Access Control to Passenger Flow
The strategic logic behind the transaction lies in the changing role of access infrastructure at airports.
An automated gate is no longer simply a physical barrier that opens or remains closed. Modern passenger processing requires multiple systems to interact within seconds, linking identity and authorization data with sensors, software and physical access technology.
As airports continue to automate check-in, security, border and boarding processes, the ability to integrate these elements is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, airports are critical infrastructure environments where efficiency must be balanced with security, resilience and system availability.
By bringing Airsphere into the group, dormakaba is extending its position along this technology chain. The company can combine its existing expertise in access solutions with software responsible for managing and automating passenger processes.
“We are very pleased to welcome Airsphere to our group,” said Till Reuter, CEO of dormakaba. “This acquisition strengthens our global airport business.”
Reuter highlighted the complementary nature of Airsphere’s portfolio and said the group intends to improve passenger processes for airports and airlines through greater efficiency.
Airsphere to Retain Its Market Presence
Despite becoming part of dormakaba, Airsphere will continue to operate independently in the market. Its team of around 20 specialists will support both its existing customer base and dormakaba customers.
The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. dormakaba expects the acquisition to make a positive contribution to group earnings per share from day one.
From a business perspective, the acquisition gives dormakaba a relatively compact specialist operation with a substantial international installed base and access to some of the world’s largest airports.
More importantly, it illustrates how the airport security market itself is changing. Physical access control, passenger management, digital identity and operational software are increasingly becoming parts of the same infrastructure.For technology providers, competitive advantage is therefore shifting from supplying individual components towards controlling and integrating larger parts of the passenger journey.
With Airsphere, dormakaba is positioning itself more firmly within that transition – moving beyond the access point towards the software and processes that determine how passengers move through the airport.
