LATAM Cargo carries more than 9,500 tons of flowers for Valentine’s Day
More than 2 million fresh flowers per freight aircraft were shipped onboard LATAM Cargo during the four weeks leading to this Valentine’s Day holiday, which together with Mother’s Day (April and May) represent the peak seasons for fresh flower exports worldwide.
From January 17 to February 7, more than 163 freighters departed from Ecuador and Colombia, almost tripling the number of regular weekly shipments. Between Bogota and Miami alone, LATAM Cargo’s traffic rose to 2,670 tons, compared with an average traffic of 360 tons per week. The company’s Quito-Miami route was equally as busy, with 3,740 tons versus a weekly average of 450 tons. In total, LATAM Cargo carried more than 4,310 tons of fresh flowers from Colombia and over 5,220 tons from Ecuador.
“This holiday, we once again surpassed last year’s record peak. The figures are a testament to LATAM Cargo’s leadership in the region and reflects the trust customers have placed in our ‘Perishable’ service, which ensures the highest standards during the entire shipping process so that products reach their final destination in perfect condition,” says Felipe Caballero, Commercial Vice President for Central and North America, LATAM Cargo.
In January and February, LATAM Cargo aircraft transported flowers from Bogota and Medellin in Colombia as well as Quito in Ecuador to destinations in the Netherlands and the United States, where the majority are shipped to Miami, one of the world’s largest distribution hubs and home to the cargo operations of LATAM Airlines Group.
The United States is the principal market for fresh flowers transported by LATAM Cargo. This Valentine’s Day, Miami International Airport received some 7,900 tons from LATAM, representing more than 80% of its cargo shipments. Of the flowers entering the country, 89% remained in the State of Florida, while the other 11% continued on, mainly to Los Angeles.
During a regular week, Miami International receives approximately 5,000 tons of fresh flowers from Ecuador and Colombia. However, during the period leading up to Valentine’s Day this amount almost triples.
The Netherlands is another important destination for the flowers shipped onboard LATAM Cargo, especially from Ecuador. During this 2018 season, more than 690 tons were transported, which is equivalent to 15 flights.
A specialist in perishable shipments
In 2016, LATAM Cargo launched a new product portfolio designed with its customer shipping needs in mind. One of these products is PERISHABLE, which has been conceived for the shipment of perishable goods such as fresh flowers and offers temperature-controlled facilities throughout the entire LATAM Cargo network; programmable temperature in the cargo holds of its freight and wide-body passenger aircraft; and reduced intervals between cargo reception and delivery.
