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| Founded | 1993; 33 years ago (1993) | ||||||
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| AOC # | P5CA067Y[1] | ||||||
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| Fleet size | 5 | ||||||
| Destinations | Worldwide | ||||||
| Parent company |
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| Headquarters | Purchase, New York, United States | ||||||
| Key people | Michael Steen | ||||||
| Employees | 210 | ||||||
| Website | polaraircargo.com | ||||||
Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc. is acargo airline based inPurchase, New York, United States.[2] It operates scheduled all-cargo services toNorth America,Asia, andEurope. Its main base isCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, with hubs atLos Angeles International Airport,Hong Kong International Airport,Narita International Airport andIncheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea.[3] The joint venture betweenAtlas Air andDHL to operate Polar concluded in 2025.Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings acquired the remaining equity interest in Polar Air Cargo, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide.[4]
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Polar was formed in 1993 as a joint venture betweenSouthern Air Transport andGE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). It started operations in June 1993 and began with charter flights, later adding scheduled services. During 1994, Polar was certified as a supplemental air carrier by theFederal Aviation Administration and on 4 July 1994 as a US all-cargo carrier by theUnited States Department of Transportation. After several years of continued growth, the remainder of the company was acquired by GECAS.[citation needed]
In November 2001, Polar was acquired by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (AAWW), whoseAtlas Air subsidiary is a provider ofACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) freighter leasing. Polar became the scheduled service provider for AAWW, while Atlas continued to supplyBoeing 747-400 freighters on a wet-lease basis to major airlines. In October 2006, it was announced thatDHL Express would be acquiring a 49% stake in Polar.[5] As of March 2007[update], Polar is still majority-owned by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (51%) and has 736 employees.[3]
In April 2023, former Polar Air Cargo COO Lars Winkelbauer was arrested in Thailand and charged, along with 10 others, with defrauding the company of an estimated $52m.[6]
In February 2025, Atlas Air and DHL announced that Polar Air Cargo would be dissolved, with the 4 747-8s and 2 777Fs in Polar’s fleet continuing to be operated by Atlas.[7] Atlas Air will provide CMI (Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) services on the 2 Boeing 777 freighters for DHL under separate, long-term vendor agreements.[8][9]
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Polar provides scheduled freight service covering the transpacific, transatlantic, trans-Asia, and Middle East markets. Polar offers frequent flights to China, connecting Shanghai to the United States and multiple points in Asia and Europe, e.g.,Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany andEast Midlands Airport in the United Kingdom.[10]
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Polar Air Cargo also offers its customers charter freight services, using its fleet of Boeing 747 and 767. Polar and its sister company, Atlas Air, also do extensive work for theU.S. Air Force’sAir Mobility Command (AMC).
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As of October 2025[update], Polar Air Cargo operates the following aircraft:[11]
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-8F | 3 | — | operating forAtlas Air |
| Boeing 777F | 2 | — | operating forDHL Aviation |
| Total | 5 | — |
Polar Air Cargo formerly operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-100SF | 14 | 1994 | 2006 | |
| Boeing 747-200F | 4 | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Boeing 747-200SF | 8 | 1999 | 2007 | |
| Boeing 747-300SF | 2 | 2002 | 2004 | Leased fromAtlas Air |
| Boeing 747-400F | 6 | 2000 | 2022 | Leased in, airframes were redelivered to DHL Aviation |
| 3[citation needed] | Operated for Atlas Air | |||
| Boeing 747-8F | 2 | |||
| Boeing 767-300ERF | 4 | 2014 | 2024 | Final aircraft left service February 2024 |
