EU-wide tender at Hamburg Airport for retail and catering outlets
Modern concepts for five catering areas and six shops wanted // Step-by-step implementation from 2028
30.10.2026
Hamburg Airport is further developing its shopping and dining offerings: As part of two EU-wide tenders, the airport is looking for a new partner for six retail spaces and an operator for five gastronomic units. The locations are divided between the public area and the security area. The focus is on modern concepts, a wide range of products and a high level of customer service. While the catering outlets are primarily intended to offer fresh food and drinks to take away, the shops will focus on newspapers, magazines and books, as well as other travel essentials and airport-exclusive products. Applications can now be submitted via the TED tendering platform. The outlets will be handed over and opened in stages from 2028 onwards.
"Whether it’s a fresh snack before departure, the perfect book to take on your journey or a special souvenir: We want to attract partners who can offer our guests services that complement their travel experience. With new concepts, we are creating scope for fresh ideas and services that enrich the experience of being at the airport. We are looking for offerings with a distinctive character that also highlight the connection to Hamburg and our region", says Lutz Deubel, Head of Center Management at Hamburg Airport.
Retail: Six shops with individual profiles and local references
The retail tender comprises six retail spaces, which will be offered as a single package. Three locations are situated in the public arrivals area, whilst three others are in the security area. The core product range includes newspapers and magazines, books, travel essentials, as well as tobacco products and sweets. In addition, Airport Exclusive items as well as trend and innovation products are in particular demand. Depending on the location and size, toys, gifts, stationery, technical and drugstore items, among others, can complement the range. The six shops are each to have an individual character and pick up on local references. Digital offers such as self-check-out, pre-order and click & collect are to complement the shopping experience. The handover of the shops will take place in stages from 2028.
Gastronomy: New concepts wanted for five locations
The airport’s catering sector is also preparing for the future. As part of the tender process, several attractive catering locations are to be reallocated. The areas will be spread over both the publicly accessible area and the security area behind the passenger controls in order to offer travellers and guests an even more varied culinary experience in the future. The focus of the modernisation is on the expansion of flexible and contemporary concepts. A central unit is planned on the arrivals level, which, in addition to direct sales, will also take on an important logistical function for the culinary supply at the airport. Here, a focus will be placed on fast and fresh catering. In the security area on the pier, there are also several locations for different catering models. The spectrum ranges from the quick to-go concept for coffee specialities and snacks to larger areas that offer space for premium convenience products, light and health-conscious dishes as well as completely new, innovative gastronomy ideas. The aim is to complement the existing offer and optimally respond to the needs of passengers under time pressure. From 2028, the majority of the catering areas will be phased out by the airport and will gradually become available for the roll-out of the new concepts.
About Hamburg Airport
Hamburg Airport is the fifth largest airport in Germany. In 2025, around 14.8 million passengers used Hamburg Airport. Over the course of the year, around 55 airlines offered around 120 direct destinations, with around 15,000 employees working in almost 250 companies at the airport, around 1,900 of them directly at Flughafen Hamburg GmbH. The shareholders of the partially privatised airport are the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg with 51 per cent and AviAlliance GmbH with 49 per cent. Current flight offers to all destinations, direct booking options and inspiration for your next trip can be found on the website: Find & Book Flight - Hamburg Airport.