Polar
Polar Air Cargo is a US-based scheduled all-cargo airline and wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide (NASDAQ: AAWW), operating an all-Boeing 747-8F/777F freighter network with DHL Express as its anchor customer, serving freight forwarders, importers, and exporters across perishables, machinery, apparel, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and special cargo globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersMapo, South Korea
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Polar does
Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. is a US-incorporated cargo airline and wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAWW), founded in 1993. The company provides time-definite, airport-to-airport scheduled air cargo service using an all-Boeing fleet of 747-8F and 777F freighters, serving freight forwarders, importers, and exporters across major world markets. Polar's service portfolio covers specialized cargo segments including food and perishables, machinery, apparel, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, with a dedicated Special Loads capability for oversized and nonstandard goods supported by a range of specialized Unit Loading Devices (ULDs). The company is recognized as a Payload Asia award winner (2022) and brands itself on a "worldwide reputation for reliability, earned every day."
The revenue model is anchored by a long-term strategic relationship with DHL Express, which serves as the anchor customer and establishes strict flight performance standards that shape network design. Polar operates globally with documented coverage spanning North America (USA) and Asia Pacific (China, Japan, Hong Kong), and distributes through direct sales supported by digital customer tools including shipment tracking, TACT tariff access, fuel surcharge updates, and customs updates. Corporate functions are shared with Atlas Air Worldwide — Atlas Air's CEO Michael T. Steen leads the parent, while Polar's dedicated executive team includes Klaus Goersch (COO), Kersti Krepp (SVP & Chief Management Officer), and Sylvie Blondeel (SVP & CFO), reflecting a tightly integrated operating and back-office structure.
Polar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Polar
- Legal name
- Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc.
- Website
- https://polaraircargo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Polar Air Cargo is a US-based scheduled all-cargo airline and wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide (NASDAQ: AAWW), operating an all-Boeing 747-8F/777F freighter network with DHL Express as its anchor customer, serving freight forwarders, importers, and exporters across perishables, machinery, apparel, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and special cargo globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Polar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Cargo Services
- NAICS
- Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers) (THABAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Heavy-Lift & Outsize Cargo Airlines (THABAEAG)
Keywords
Where Polar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mapo
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Polar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Polar sells its own branded fitness tracking devices including the Polar Loop band at Rs 19,999 and Polar Street X at $249.
- OEM/Embedded Technology Licensing: Polar licenses its health tracking technology (sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring) to third-party manufacturers like Motorola for integration into their Moto Watch products.
- Subscription Services: Polar offers devices without mandatory ongoing subscription fees, unlike competitors such as Whoop which charges $25-40/month plus device costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Polar Street X at $249 positioned as affordable rugged watch alternative to Garmin Instinct 3 |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Polar Loop priced at Rs 19,999 in India for minimalist screen-free fitness band |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Moto Watch with Polar technology ranging from £89.99 to £129.99 in UK |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Polar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Polar Air Cargo operates a global all-cargo airline providing time-definite, airport-to-airport scheduled air cargo service to freight forwarders, importers, and exporters. It transports specialized cargo including food and perishables, machinery, apparel, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and oversized or nonstandard shipments using a fleet of Boeing 747-8F and 777F freighters.
Product overview
Polar offers a portfolio of fitness wearable products including screen-free fitness trackers (Polar Loop at $199) and rugged GPS fitness watches (Polar Street X at $249). The company also provides health tracking technology (Sleep Tracking, Nightly Recharge, continuous heart rate monitoring) that is integrated into partner devices through partnerships with companies like Motorola.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Scheduled Air Cargo Service
- Food and Perishables Transport
- Machinery Transport
- Apparel Transport
- Electronics Transport
- Pharmaceuticals Transport
- Special Cargo / Oversized Load Handling
- Unit Loading Device (ULD) Specifications
Quantifiable outcome
- Polar HR system achieved 141.4 BPM vs actual 142.1 BPM in forehead-based comparison testing, demonstrating high accuracy vs wrist trackers at 120.5 BPM
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Polar
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Polar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Polar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MotorolacoreMotorola partnered with Polar for the new Moto Watch at CES 2026, combining Motorola's wearable design with Polar's health tracking features including Sleep Tracking, Nightly Recharge, and continuous heart rate monitoring. The watch features a 47mm circular case with 1.43-inch OLED display, dual-frequency GPS, IP68 water resistance, and up to 13 days of battery life. Launched in UK in February 2026 at £89.99 to £129.99.
- DHL ExpresscorePolar Air Cargo has a strategic relationship with DHL Express which makes DHL Express an anchor customer and establishes strict flight performance standards. This is specifically from the Polar Air Cargo web content and relates to the cargo airline business, not the fitness technology company.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Polar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AirBridgeCargo Airlines: Russian-headquartered all-cargo carrier operating 747 freighters on scheduled international routes; comparable fleet type and scheduled cargo model, though currently constrained by sanctions/operating restrictions.
- Emirates SkyCargo: All-cargo division of Emirates operating 777F freighters across global scheduled routes, including significant transpacific and Asia–Middle East capacity comparable to Polar's network.
- Lufthansa Cargo: European all-cargo and belly-cargo operator with a 777F freighter fleet; comparable scheduled time-definite service model serving global forwarders and shippers.
- Cargolux: Luxembourg-based all-cargo airline operating 747 freighters across global scheduled cargo routes; direct comparable in fleet type, scheduled service model, and special-cargo capability.
- Cathay Cargo: Cathay Pacific's all-cargo division operating 747-8F freighters on global scheduled air cargo routes; competes head-to-head with Polar on transpacific and Asia-origin lanes.
- Korean Air Cargo: Major Asian-flag all-cargo operator with a widebody freighter fleet serving the same transpacific and intra-Asia routes Polar relies on.
Broad incumbents
- FedEx Express: Global integrator with a large widebody and narrowbody freighter fleet; competes with Polar for time-sensitive international air cargo while offering door-to-door service Polar does not.
- UPS Airlines: U.S. integrator with a sizeable all-cargo fleet; competes with Polar on transpacific and transatlantic air freight, particularly for higher-yield express and healthcare shipments.
- DHL Aviation: Air-operations arm of DHL Express; both an anchor customer relationship for Polar and a vertically-integrated competitor operating its own freighter fleet in the same segments.
- Atlas Air: Polar's publicly-listed parent and broader ACMI/group cargo operator; Polar is essentially a sister operation within the Atlas Air Worldwide portfolio, sharing fleet type, infrastructure, and customer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Polar social profiles
Digital presencePolar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Polar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Polar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Polar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Polar
What does Polar do?
Polar Air Cargo operates a global all-cargo airline providing time-definite, airport-to-airport scheduled air cargo service to freight forwarders, importers, and exporters. It transports specialized cargo including food and perishables, machinery, apparel, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and oversized or nonstandard shipments using a fleet of Boeing 747-8F and 777F freighters.
Is Polar a public or private company?
Polar is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Polar founded?
Polar was founded in 1993. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Polar based?
Polar is headquartered in Mapo, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Polar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are OEM/Embedded Technology Licensing and subscription Services.
Who are Polar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Emirates SkyCargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Cargolux, Cathay Cargo and Korean Air Cargo. Broad incumbents are FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, DHL Aviation and Atlas Air.
Does Polar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Polar.
What industry is Polar in?
Polar's product category is Air Cargo Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAEAA, Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers), with a secondary code of THABAEAG, Heavy-Lift & Outsize Cargo Airlines. Its NAICS code is 481112 and its SIC code is 4512.