HAE Group

What HAE Group does

HAE Group (ultimate parent HAE Global Limited) is a UK-incorporated air cargo services provider founded in 1997, operating across four integrated divisions: GSSA (General Sales and Service Agent representation for airlines), HAE Solutions (wholesale and bespoke freight forwarding products), Aircraft & Cargo Handling (licensed ground handling at East Midlands and Belfast airports via subsidiaries EMAH and BAHL), and HAE Training (100+ certified aviation courses). The company serves two principal B2B segments — airlines requiring sales representation, yield management, and load factor optimization, and freight forwarders requiring competitive capacity access, complex routing solutions, and end-to-end logistics — with additional revenue from aircraft operators needing ground handling and aviation professionals seeking compliance training.

The core technology asset is the proprietary Quote Management System (QMS), a self-developed web-based application connecting directly to airline carrier systems. QMS enables rapid quoting, instant booking, shipment tracking, invoicing, and transaction history access for freight forwarders, and provides airline partners with a branded performance dashboard and IATA CASS processing capability. The company also operates local field sales teams across multiple geographies (UK, US, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Ireland, South Africa, Kenya, UAE) coordinated from a UAE orchestration base, supported by inside sales and the QMS self-serve portal.

The revenue model is predominantly transaction-fee based across all four divisions, with pricing delivered via custom quote-based systems rather than published rate cards. Distribution combines sales-led enterprise engagement (GSSA), inside sales (Solutions), and self-service PLG motion (QMS). The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications, Ecovadis Committed sustainability rating (2024), and Living Wage Employer accreditation. Headcount is reported at 280+ industry professionals, and the group operates three wholly-owned subsidiaries (EMAH, BAHL, HAE Training) with no disclosed external institutional funding.

Name

HAE Group

Legal name

HAE Global Limited

Website

https://haegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HAE Group provides integrated global air cargo services through four divisions (GSSA, Solutions, Aircraft & Cargo Handling, and Training) serving airlines and freight forwarders via its proprietary Quote Management System (QMS) platform, with 280+ employees across nine countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Cargo Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), General Warehousing and Storage (493110)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shipping Management, Labeling & Carrier Integration (Multi-Carrier) (TLAEACAE), Air Waybill (AWB) Issuance/Management (Master/House) (TLACAHAB), Air Cargo Charter Specialists (On-Demand) (TLADAAAE)

Keywords

• Air cargo services
• Freight forwarding solutions
• Cargo ground handling
• Aviation training courses
• GSSA representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. GSSA Services: General Sales and Service Agent representation for airline partners, providing sales, operational and customer service support. HAE becomes part of the airline's team, focusing on yield management, load factor optimization and market performance.
2. Solutions (Wholesale): Wholesale products for forwarders including airport-to-airport, door-to-door, customs clearance, charter services, interline networks. Non-GSSA solutions for complex routings, remote destinations, cross trade, multimodal shipments.
3. Cargo Handling Services: Bespoke cargo ground handling services at UK regional airports including reception, security screening, pallet build up, breakdown, sortation, ramp handling, ULD management, storage and distribution, de-icing services.
4. Training Services: Aviation industry training and consultancy offering over 100 courses including City & Guilds, Highfields, Institute of Export, and IATA certifications. Courses available online and in classroom formats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HAE Group provides integrated air cargo industry services through four operating divisions: GSSA (General Sales and Service Agent) representation for airlines, wholesale Solutions for freight forwarders (door-to-door, customs, interline, charters), Aircraft & Cargo Handling at UK regional airports (East Midlands and Belfast), and aviation Training with 100+ certified courses. Services are supported by a self-developed, web-based Quote Management System (QMS) that connects to airline carrier systems for quoting, booking, and shipment tracking.

Product overview

HAE Group is a multi-platform air cargo industry services provider operating as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include QMS (Quote Management System), a self-developed web-based application for quoting and booking; GSSA services for airline sales and operations; HAE Solutions for wholesale and bespoke logistics; Aircraft & Cargo Handling at UK regional airports; and HAE Training offering 100+ aviation courses. These services are supported by centralized administration, business process teams, and in-house software development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GSSA (General Sales and Service Agent) Provides airline partners with a dynamic suite of sales, operations, customer service, pricing, yield management, and business forecasting services. HAE maintains a large active trading client base with in-depth knowledge of key trade lanes and acts as an extension of the airline's commercial team.
• HAE Solutions (Wholesale) Wholesale products for freight forwarders including airport-to-airport and door-to-door options, customs bond and compliance, interline solutions, charter services, and bespoke solutions for complex routings, remote destinations, cross-trade shipments, multimodal transport, and special cargo handling including livestock and humanitarian cargo.
• Aircraft & Cargo Handling Bespoke cargo ground handling services operating at Belfast (BFS) and East Midlands (EMA) airports. Includes cargo reception, security screening, pallet build-up and breakdown, sortation, ramp handling, ULD management, import/export facilities (ERTS), de-icing, storage and distribution, and business aviation handling.
• HAE Training Aviation industry consultancy and training provider offering over 100 courses including City & Guilds, Highfields, Institute of Export, and IATA certifications. Available in online and classroom formats, focused on aviation compliance.
• QMS (Quote Management System) Self-developed, web-based bespoke application connecting airline carrier systems to enable quick quoting, instant booking, and management of interactions between carriers and customers. Provides a professional branded presence for airline partners and a self-service portal where customers can request quotes, make and edit bookings, track shipments, reprint or pay invoices, and access transaction history.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in employee happiness since adopting hybrid working in 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ngandu Village, KenyaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025HAE Group Tree Planting Club partnered with Ngandu village in Kenya delivering 2000 improved varieties of fruit tree seedlings as part of the Empty Spaces project to promote sustainable agriculture and create economic opportunities.
• IATAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAE holds IATA accreditation and operates as a regulated agent. Company displays IATA logo on website indicating membership and compliance with IATA standards and procedures for air cargo handling and operations.
• EcovadiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAE was awarded Committed company sustainability rating badge from Ecovadis, a global provider of business sustainability ratings. Company is implementing improvements aiming for higher rating in 2025.
• British Assessment BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth BAHL and EMAH hold ISO 45001:2018 certificates awarded by British Assessment Bureau, demonstrating compliance with international occupational health and safety requirements.
• City & GuildsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAE Training offers courses certified by City & Guilds as part of their training program offering over 100 courses.
• IATA (Training)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAE Training offers IATA certified courses as part of their aviation industry training program.
• HighfieldsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAE Training offers courses certified by Highfields as part of their training program offering over 100 courses.
• Institute of ExportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAE Training offers courses certified by Institute of Export as part of their training program offering over 100 courses.
• Clowes DevelopmentsminorOthersEast Midlands Airport Handling (EMAH) secured a long-term lease for Unit 6B at Clowes Developments' Stud Brook Business Park in Castle Donington - 22,000 sq ft warehouse facility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DSV A/S: Global freight forwarder with significant air freight and GSSA-style airline capacity procurement. Comparable at the wholesale forwarding/Solutions tier of HAE's offering.
• Worldwide Flight Services (WFS): Global air cargo ground handling and GSSA services operator present at major airports worldwide. Overlaps directly with HAE's Aircraft & Cargo Handling division at UK regional airports and competes for airline handling mandates.
• Expeditors International: Global logistics company with strong air freight forwarding operations. Competitor at the wholesale air cargo brokerage and forwarding tier served by HAE Solutions.
• Kuehne+Nagel International AG: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with a substantial air freight division. Overlaps with HAE Solutions on wholesale air freight forwarding and with HAE's freight forwarding customer base.
• dnata: Major aviation services provider offering cargo handling, ground handling and airline representation globally. Comparable to HAE Group in offering integrated cargo handling alongside airline sales/marketing services.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Global air and ocean freight forwarder with significant air cargo capacity management. Direct overlap with HAE Solutions on complex routings and cross-trade air forwarding.

Direct peers

• Air Logistics Group: Specialist GSSA and air cargo sales representation group operating across multiple regions. Closest direct competitor to HAE Group's GSSA division, serving similar airline clients with comparable sales, operations and customer service scope.

Regional players

• Air Cargo Services Group: UK-based air cargo handling services provider operating ground handling and warehousing at UK airports. Directly comparable to HAE's EMAH and BAHL handling operations.
• Avianca Cargo / Aerouna: Latam-region focused air cargo sales and handling operator. Comparable to HAE's LATAM operations in Chile, Brazil and Argentina via field sales representation for airlines.

Others

• Accelya: Airline technology vendor providing cargo and pricing/quoting systems used by GSSAs and freight forwarders. Adjacent comparable to HAE's proprietary QMS, representing both partnership and competitive substitution risk.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heavyweight-air-express
• Xx.com/HAEGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/100068959188529

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 HAE Group