The 2014 cherry and berry season, which takes place in Chile during the months of November and December, was one of the most successful ever. Last year’s production reached 9,000 tons, a 63% increase compared to the 5,500 tons produced in 2013.
The increase in production also resulted in a change to LAN CARGO’s market share, which grew from 24% to 27% in 2014, demonstrating its leadership in the transport of cherries and berries from Chile.
In order to guarantee the success of the operation, LAN CARGO operated 13 freighters and increased shipments by 10% compared to 2013. The Chinese cities of Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong are among the main destinations of this perishable product.
Despite the disadvantages we face when operating in this market, since we do not operate to Asia, we do great work along with our interlineal partners in the United States. This reaffirms our transport capacity, independently of the destination and the scenario, and our ability to work as a team,” said Óscar Salazar, LAN CARGO’s Sales Manager Chile.
Fruit is transported from the airport in Santiago de Chile to Los Angeles, Miami and New York in the U.S., where the Operations team at each of the airports work to maintain the cold chain and the product’s quality before shipment on connecting flights to their final destination.
The recent growth of the cherries and berries market attracted several airlines — including Emirates, Korean and China Cargo Airlines — to start operating in Chile during the fruit season. However, LAN CARGO has been able to grow in this market by providing quality and reliable service that responds to customers’ needs.