Head of Pre-Flight Hospitality

Swissport International AG; Runcorn; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspire, the hospitality division of Swissport, seeks a Head of Pre-Flight Hospitality to lead regional growth across the UK and Ireland. This senior role sits at the intersection of commercial strategy, guest experience, and operational excellence, reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer.

You will build senior relationships with airports and airlines, own regional P&L, oversee multi-site lounges, drive new openings, bids and partnerships, and mentor regional teams to deliver world-class CX and

Qualifications

• 10+ years' leadership experience in hospitality, aviation, or premium service environments.
• Proven track record in business development, tendering and contract negotiation.
• Experience managing multi-site or regional operations with full P&L ownership.
• Strong F&B strategy expertise and guest experience focus.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the region; clean driving licence.
• Hospitality or aviation background enabling lounge openings is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Build senior relationships with airports, airlines, and partners; negotiate contracts.
• Own regional P&L; deliver revenue, EBITDA, and cost targets.
• Oversee multi-site lounge portfolio; ensure brand and standards.
• Lead new lounge openings from design input to operation readiness.
• Develop tender submissions and business cases for partnerships.
• Inspire and develop regional teams with succession planning.
• Drive guest experience excellence and NPS performance.
• Collaborate with Global F&B Director on menu cost and innovation.
• Ensure health, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Represent Aspire as a senior ambassador in UKI and global forums.

Skills

leadership

business development

P&L ownership

F&B strategy

strategic execution

lounge openings

travel willingness

driving licence

Job description

Overview

Are you ready to lead the future of premium airport hospitality?

Head of Pre-Flight Hospitality

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer

Location: Remote, these is an expectation to travel across the UK and Ireland

Do you want to be at the forefront of one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sectors in Travel & Hospitality? Do you have a passion for delivering world-class F&B guest experiences, leading hospitality teams, and a track record of outstanding customer experience (CX) results?

About Us

We are Aspire, the hospitality division of Swissport, one of the world's largest aviation support services businesses. With more than 35 years of award-winning airport hospitality experience, we are Europe's number one and the world's number two brand of premium airport lounge. In 2023, we served over 5.2 million customers worldwide, operating 80+ lounges across 40 airports in 19 countries — welcoming over 14,000 guests every day, and growing. The premium lounge market is booming, with a 17% CAGR and predicted growth from $4bn to $8bn by 2029. We're investing heavily in our strategy, technology, team, and pipeline to stay ahead. Our ambition is to be the best, not the biggest — starting with guest experience. We deliver our brand promise of "wait wonderful," creating destinations that are welcoming, relaxed, and energised.

At Swissport, we live by our core values: Show You Care, Do the Right Things, and Win as a Team.

The Role

This is more than an operations role — it's a senior leadership position driving regional growth, new business development, and operational excellence for Aspire across the UKI region. You'll sit at the intersection of commercial strategy, hospitality innovation, and operational leadership.

Key focus areas:

• Driving revenue growth and profitability across a multi-country portfolio
• Elevating guest experience to best-in-class global standards
• Expanding our airport lounge portfolio through new business wins
• Leading high-value tenders and securing new airport & airline partnerships
• Championing F&B strategy and innovation

Responsibilities

• Building senior relationships with airports, airlines, and partners, negotiating contracts that drive long-term value
• Owning regional P&L performance, delivering revenue, EBITDA, and cost targets
• Overseeing a multi-site lounge portfolio, ensuring consistency in brand and operational standards
• Leading new lounge openings — from design input to mobilisation and operational readiness
• Developing tender submissions, bids, and business cases to secure new partnerships
• Inspiring and developing high-performing regional teams with strong succession planning
• Driving guest experience excellence and NPS performance
• Partnering with our Global F&B Director to shape menu development, cost control, and product innovation
• Ensuring full compliance with health, safety, and regulatory standards
• Representing Aspire as a senior ambassador within the UKI region and global leadership forums

Qualifications

• 10+ years' leadership experience in hospitality, aviation, or premium service environments
• Proven track record in business development, tendering, and contract negotiation
• Experience managing multi-site or regional operations with full P&L ownership
• Strong F&B strategy expertise
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels
• New lounge design/construction/opening experience desirable (hospitality or hotel background welcome)
• Willingness to travel extensively across the region
• Clean driving licence and clear criminal record (airside passes required)

Why Join Us?

You'll be joining a market leader with ambitious growth plans, backed by a global organisation and a genuine commitment to putting people and guest experience first.