American Airlines Cargo: flying fish from Japan
20 / 03 / 2024
Source: American Airlines Cargo
American Airlines Cargo has flown record numbers of valuable koi carp from Japan as demand for the prized fish continues to rise.
The carrier said that the popularity of the fish has grown as ornamental fishkeeping expands globally, particularly in Hong Kong, the US, China, Germany, the Netherlands and Indonesia, which accounts for some 60% of their export value.
Approximately 55% of koi breeders are in Niigata Prefecture, 250km north of Tokyo, with most of American’s export business of koi coming from this region.
In 2023, the American Airlines Cargo team in Japan transported koi in record volumes of more than 19,100 kgs to Los Angeles International and 9,600 kgs to Dallas Fort Worth alone.
“These living works of art are beautiful creatures and require highly specialized knowledge and training in order to ship them. Our dedicated team under Keisuke Morita are true experts in their field,” said Emma Oliver, director cargo sales Europe, Africa & Middle East (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC).
“The transportation of the Nishikigoi must be on direct flights due to their sensitivity, with great precautions taken to tailor their travel accommodations to their oxygen needs. I am proud of our teams that are trained to handle these shipments with the utmost care and expertise.”
The ornamental fish are highly prized by collectors and specimens can grow to more than 100 cm in length and be valued at $2m each.
The fish require “special handling and care when travelling by air as they are transported from native Japan to aqua culturists who import koi for collectors”, the carrier said.
American currently operates two direct flights daily to Los Angeles International and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) from either Haneda Airport (HND) or Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT).
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