Editing Polar Air Cargo

{{short description|American cargo airline}}
{{for|the Russian aviation company|Polar Airlines}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Polar Air Cargo
| logo = Polar Air Cargo logo.svg
| logo_size = 300
| image = N451PA Polar Air Cargo (2449469888).jpg
| fleet_size = 6
| destinations = Worldwide
| image_size = 300
| IATA = PO
| ICAO = PAC
| callsign = POLAR
| parent = {{Unbulleted list
   | [[Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings]] (51%)
   | [[DHL]] (49%)
   }}
| founded = {{start date and age|1993||}}
| aoc = P5CA067Y<ref name="FAA">{{Cite web|url=https://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=P5CA&OPER_FAR=121&OPER_NAME=POLAR+AIR+CARGO+WORLDWIDE+INC|title=Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View|website=av-info.faa.gov|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>
| headquarters = [[Purchase, New York]], United States
| key_people = Michael Steen
| hubs = {{Unbulleted list|
   |{{nowrap|[[Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport|Anchorage]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport|Cincinnati]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Hong Kong International Airport|Hong Kong]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Incheon International Airport|Seoul–Incheon]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Narita International Airport|Tokyo–Narita]]}}
 }}
| focus_cities = {{Unbulleted list|
   |{{nowrap|[[Chicago O'Hare International Airport|Chicago–O'Hare]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Miami International Airport|Miami]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[Chubu Centrair International Airport|Nagoya–Centrair]]}}
   |{{nowrap|[[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York–JFK]]}}
 }}
| num_employees = 210
| website = {{URL|https://www.polaraircargo.com|polaraircargo.com}}
}}

'''Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc.''' is a [[cargo airline]] based in [[Purchase, New York]], United States.<ref>"[https://www.polaraircargo.com/contact-us/local-contact-information/ Contact Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426100832/http://www.polaraircargo.com/contact-list.html#PURCHASE |date=2016-04-26 }}." Polar Air Cargo. Retrieved on February 13, 2011. "Atlas Air / Polar Air Cargo - Headquarters 2000 Westchester Avenue Purchase, NY 10577 USA"</ref> It operates scheduled all-cargo services to [[North America]], [[Asia]], and [[Europe]]. Its main base is [[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport]], with hubs at [[Los Angeles International Airport]], [[Hong Kong International Airport]], [[Narita International Airport]] and [[Incheon International Airport]] near Seoul, South Korea.<ref name="FI">{{cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= [[Flight International]] | page= 64 | date= 2007-04-10}}</ref> Polar's parent company is [[Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings]] and [[DHL]] has a 49% equity interest in the airline.

== History ==
[[File:N643GT (9029054422).jpg|thumb|right|A Polar Air Cargo [[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-300ERF]] in [[DHL Express]] colors (2013)]]

Polar was formed in 1993 as a joint venture between [[Southern Air Transport]] and [[GE Commercial Aviation Services|GE 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 the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] and on 4 July 1994 as a US all-cargo carrier by the [[United States Department of Transportation]]. After several years of continued growth, the remainder of the company was acquired by GECAS. {{Citation needed|date=July 2007}}

In November 2001, Polar was acquired by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (AAWW), whose [[Atlas Air]] subsidiary is a provider of [[Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance|ACMI]] (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) freighter leasing. Polar became the scheduled service provider for AAWW, while Atlas continued to supply [[Boeing 747-400]] freighters on a wet-lease basis to major airlines. In October 2006, it was announced that [[DHL Express]] would be acquiring a 49% stake in Polar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://info.hktdc.com/shippers/vol29_6/vol29_6_aircargo01.htm|title=Polar, DHL ink partnership (hktdc.com)}}</ref> {{As of|March 2007}}, Polar is still majority-owned by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (51%) and has 736 employees.<ref name="FI"/>

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.<ref>[https://theloadstar.com/fbi-round-up-alleged-polar-fraudsters/#  FBI rounds-up former Polar execs charged with $52m fraud]</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://cargofacts.com/allposts/carriers/atlas-and-dhl-closing-polar-air-cargo/ |title= Atlas and DHL closing Polar Air Cargo |date=February 21, 2025 |website=Cargo Facts}}</ref>

== Destinations ==
[[File:N487MC@HKG (20181101130623).jpg|thumb|A Polar Air Cargo [[Boeing 747-400]]F in [[DHL]] colors arrives at [[Hong Kong International Airport]] (2018).]]

===Scheduled services===
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 and [[East Midlands Airport]] in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polaraircargo.com/networkmap.html|title=Polar Air Cargo|access-date=2015-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503204202/http://www.polaraircargo.com/networkmap.html|archive-date=2016-05-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Charter services===
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2015}}
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 the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]’s [[Air Mobility Command]] (AMC).

===== Fleet =====

===Current fleet===
[[File:Polar Air Cargo B747-46NF N453PA.jpg|thumb|A Polar Air Cargo [[Boeing 747-400#747-400F|Boeing 747-400F]] at [[Narita International Airport]] (2008)]]

The Polar Air Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft:<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sec.report/Document/0001564590-22-005515/ | title=Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc Annual Report 10-K }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto;text-align:center"
|+ Polar Air Cargo fleet
|- 
!Aircraft
!In fleet
!Orders
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 747-8F]]
|4
|&mdash;
|operating for [[DHL Aviation]]
|-
|[[Boeing 777F]]
|2
|&mdash;
|operating for DHL Aviation
|-
!Total
!6
!—
!
|}

===Former fleet===
Polar Air Cargo formerly operated the following aircraft:{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto;text-align:center"
|+ Polar Air Cargo former fleet
|- 
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-100SF]]
|14
|1994
|2006
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-200F]]
|4
|1996
|2006
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-200SF]]
|8
|1999
|2007
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-300SF]]
|2
|2002
|2004
|Leased from [[Atlas Air]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Boeing 747-400|Boeing 747-400F]]
|6
| rowspan="2" |2000
| rowspan="2" |2022
|Leased in, airframes were redelivered to DHL Aviation
|-
|3{{Cn|date=May 2025}}
|Operated for Atlas Air
|-
|[[Boeing 767-300ERF]]
|4
|2014
|2024
|Final aircraft left service 
February 2024
|-
|
|
|}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-20/atlas-air-worldwide-boosts-dhl-freighter-service.html

== External links ==
{{commons category|Polar Air Cargo}}
* {{Official website|https://www.polaraircargo.com}}

{{Portal bar|United States|Hudson Valley|Companies|Aviation}}
{{DHL Aviation}}
{{Airlines of the United States}}

[[Category:Airlines established in 1993]]
[[Category:Airlines based in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Cargo airlines of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Purchase, New York]]
[[Category:2001 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1993]]