TAC Index

What TAC Index does

TAC Index is an independent price reporting agency (PRA) for the global air cargo industry, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Hong Kong. The company calculates and publishes more than 100 indices covering air freight spot and contract rates across hundreds of global trade lanes, most prominently the Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) under an exclusive official partnership with the Baltic Exchange. Its product suite includes the BAI Spot Index (daily spot prices), BAI Freight Index (weekly basket index combining contract and spot rates), TAC Freight Index (city-pair pricing derived from forwarder MAWB transactional data), TAC Space (satellite-based capacity monitoring of 84,000+ flights daily), OnAir (ONE Record-enabled Distributed Ledger Technology smart contracts for cargo custody), and TAC Consultancy (data quality and enhancement services). Underlying methodology blends panelist broker submissions with proprietary analytical processes to produce transparent, independent pricing benchmarks.

TAC Index monetizes primarily through a tiered subscription model: Level 1 (restricted headline data) and Level 2 (full data access) licenses available on annual or monthly terms with prices starting at $99 USD per year, plus a separate Settlement License for using TAC data to settle physical and non-cleared derivative freight contracts that requires Level 2 as a prerequisite. A channel partner and panelist broker distribution layer extends reach into segments the direct sales team does not cover. The customer base is enterprise-oriented, spanning airlines, freight forwarders, financial institutions (hedge funds and proprietary trading firms), and large shippers across consumer electronics, technology, and apparel.

The company maintains offices in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay), the United States, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and France, and operates under TAC Index Limited with TAC Innovation as its collaborative ecosystem subsidiary. Distribution relies on direct enterprise field sales supplemented by an online dashboard (dashboard.tacindex.com), content marketing through a blog and podcast, and channel redistribution. Notable enterprise customers include American Airlines, Atlas Air, Qatar Airways, IAG Cargo, Fossil Group, HP, Huawei, Samsung Electronics, DJI, Point72, SIG, and Stif, with citations in Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC, WSJ, and the New York Times reinforcing its position as the de facto air cargo pricing benchmark.

Name

TAC Index

Legal name

TAC Index Limited

Website

https://tacindex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TAC Index is an independent price reporting agency that publishes benchmark air cargo freight indices, satellite-based capacity data, and DLT smart contracts for airlines, freight forwarders, financial institutions, and large shippers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Cargo Pricing & Market Intelligence

NAICS

Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

akta.pro primary industry

Commodity Market Data, Pricing & Benchmark Administrators (Commodity Indices/Assessments) (FSAFAMAJ)

Keywords

• Air cargo pricing
• Freight benchmarks
• Cargo capacity monitoring
• Smart contract logistics
• Market intelligence data

Headquarters

HQ city

Causeway Bay

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Licenses: Tiered subscription model providing access to TAC Index data with Level 1 (Restricted - Headline Data only) and Level 2 (Full - all TAC Index Data) license tiers. Subscriptions available as annual or monthly plans with free trial periods offered.
2. Settlement License: Financial and Physical Settlement License for using TAC Index Data to calculate settlement prices for physical and non-cleared derivative freight contracts. Requires Level 2 License subscription as prerequisite.
3. Channel Partner Distribution: Licenses granted through Panelists and Channel Partners who can distribute TAC Index Data to their clients within permitted segments and conditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TAC Index operates as a price reporting agency (PRA) providing independent, real-time air cargo pricing benchmarks and market intelligence to airlines, freight forwarders, financial institutions, and shippers. The company calculates and publishes indices such as the Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) and offers subscription-based access to historical and current pricing data across hundreds of global trade lanes, complemented by satellite-based capacity monitoring and DLT-enabled smart contracts for cargo custody.

Product overview

TAC Index offers a suite of air cargo data and market intelligence products. The core portfolio includes the BAI Spot Index (daily spot prices), BAI Freight Index (weekly basket index), TAC Freight Index (city-pair pricing), and TAC Space (capacity monitoring via satellite data). Supporting offerings include OnAir (smart contracts/DLT for cargo custody) and TAC Consultancy (data quality services). The platform provides subscription-based access to historical and real-time pricing data across hundreds of global trade lanes, with pricing starting from $99 USD per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TAC Innovation: Driving force behind TAC Index - a collaborative ecosystem for air cargo, merging data science, technology, and industry expertise
• BAI Freight Index
• BAI Spot Index
• TAC Freight Index
• TAC Space
• OnAir
• TAC Consultancy

Products and services

• BAI Spot Index Daily air cargo spot price index sourced directly from a panel of leading airlines and forwarders, providing the most current view of market pricing for airlines, freight forwarders, and financial institutions.
• BAI Freight Index Weekly basket index combining contract and spot rates from forwarder transactional data (MAWB) to understand pricing dynamics across the air cargo market.
• TAC Freight Index Weekly contract and spot price indices for key country and city pairs, derived from forwarder transactional data (MAWB) for drilling down into specific air cargo markets.
• TAC Space Global air cargo capacity insights platform monitoring over 84,000 flights daily using satellite data to provide actual capacity metrics for supply-side forecasting.
• OnAir Smart contracts platform using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) for real-time monitoring of cargo custody, enabled for IATA ONE Record standards.
• TAC Consultancy Professional data quality assessment, analysis, and enhancement services leveraging TAC Index's air cargo market expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-time rate movements on key trade lanes enable faster market reaction and competitive advantage
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Baltic ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAC Index is the only benchmark provider in official partnership with the Baltic Exchange. The company calculates and publishes the Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) and related indices under this partnership, providing the industry standard for air cargo pricing benchmarks.
• IATAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAC Index products are ONE Record enabled and the company participates in IATA initiatives for industry standardization. The company's OnAir smart contracts utilize ONE Record standards for cargo custody monitoring.
• TAC InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAC Innovation is the driving force behind TAC Index, serving as a collaborative ecosystem for air cargo that merges data science, technology, and industry expertise. It hosts events for market-neutral experts and develops forward-thinking solutions including data products, blockchain smart contracts, and expert consultancy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• MDS Transmodal: MDS Transmodal provides maritime and intermodal freight data and consultancy, including port and container market analytics. Comparable as a niche freight-data specialist, with potential overlap if TAC Index expands into ocean freight indices.
• CargoAi: CargoAi is a digital air cargo marketplace and data platform providing rates, capacity, and e-booking to forwarders and airlines. Emerging player overlapping with TAC Index on capacity and rate intelligence, though more transactional in orientation.
• Transport Intelligence (Ti Insight): Ti Insight provides freight and logistics market research including air cargo demand and pricing intelligence to shippers, 3PLs, and financial investors. Comparable in providing subscription market intelligence for the freight sector, though broader in modal coverage.
• Seabury (Accenture Cargo): Originally Seabury Consulting, now part of Accenture, this practice provides air cargo advisory and analytics including pricing, capacity, and trade flow insights. Comparable to TAC Index's data analytics offering but bundled within a much larger consulting franchise.

Broad incumbents

• S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts): S&P Global Platts is a global commodity price reporting agency across energy, metals, and agriculture. As a broad incumbent PRA, it has both the methodology infrastructure and customer base to enter air cargo benchmarking if the market warrants — representing a long-term competitive threat.
• IATA (CargoIS / Industry Data): IATA operates CargoIS and other air cargo statistics programs, providing industry-level demand and capacity data. As the global airline trade association, IATA is a complementary data source but could also expand into more granular pricing benchmarks through member programs.
• Baltic Exchange: The Baltic Exchange is TAC Index's official benchmark partner and a leading source of shipping market data (and increasingly freight indices). As the larger, broader incumbent, it sets the institutional standard for benchmark indices and influences TAC Index's product positioning.

Direct peers

• Xeneta: Xeneta is a freight rate benchmarking platform aggregating ocean and air freight market intelligence from leading shippers and forwarders. It is the closest analog to TAC Index's index-driven, subscription-based model applied to ocean and adjacent modes.
• Drewry: Drewry is a maritime and supply chain research consultancy providing air cargo market intelligence, indices, and forecasts to airlines, shippers, and financial institutions. It is one of the most established competitors in air cargo market data and pricing research.
• Freightos: Freightos operates a digital freight marketplace with the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) for ocean container pricing, partnered with the Baltic Exchange. Comparable business model combining benchmark indices with transactional/marketplace data, though focused on ocean rather than air cargo.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TACIndex
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TACInnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tacindex/?originalSubdomain=hk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 TAC Index