LATAM Cargo sees Valentine flower volumes blossom
09 / 02 / 2024
Source: LATAM Cargo
The LATAM Group’s Valentine’s season flower volumes grew rapidly this year as the carrier added extra capacity to cater for demand.
The carrier group said that its flower volumes from Colombia and Ecuador to North America and Europe increased by 36% to 25,000 tonnes in the 21-day Valentine’s season.
The company temporarily added two freighters – bringing its all-cargo fleet total to 21 aircraft – to meet the demand.
In total, LATAM transported 575m stems, which it pointed out is the equivalent of one flower for every inhabitant of the US, Colombia, Ecuador and France combined.
“During Valentine’s season, spanning from January 18 to February 7, the company’s cargo subsidiaries conducted approximately 418 takeoffs from Quito, Bogotá, and Medellín, doubling the regular frequencies from Colombia and Ecuador to deliver this local product to the US and Europe,” LATAM said.
Additionally, the company invested in its Miami hub, the primary arrival station for this product, to modernise the cold storage warehouses, currently representing around 9,000 sq m of available space.
Claudio Torres Faini, international commercial director of South America at LATAM Cargo Chile, said: “To face this demanding season, two additional freighters were incorporated to allow us to accompany the growth of our customers and satisfy their need for capacity, achieving a 36% increase in the transportation of flowers compared to the previous year.
“This achievement was possible thanks to a close collaboration with customers, suppliers and the airport team, as well as the care and infrastructure needed for perishables. Together, a successful season was achieved.”
LATAM said that from Colombia, close to 13,000 tons of flowers, including roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums, were sent from the departments of Antioquia and Cundinamarca in over 220 flights, reflecting a 19% growth compared to Valentine’s Day 2023.
On the Ecuadorian side, the group “significantly increased the capacity offered” for this season, with over 200 frequencies, allowing them to export nearly 11,500 tons of flowers to the main global markets, almost doubling the amount transported in 2023 for Valentine’s Day season.
