London-based IAG Cargo says it has flown over 500 tonnes of flowers around the world in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, and in one mission-critical job, it flew eight tonnes of champagne from London to the Maldives. Measured by weight, the amount of flowers IAG Cargo flew increased by 23% compared to last year.
Valentine’s Day is a busy time for the air freight business
Most of the world’s freight doesn’t travel by air. Around 90% of the freight moved around the world goes by sea. But air freight has the competitive edge when it comes to perishable and time-sensitive freight. IAG Cargo and its freight forwarders worked to transport the flowers from farms to customer shelves within 72 hours of being cut, within temperatures between 0 and 8°C.
The most in-demand flowers were tulips, roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums with key origin countries including Kenya, India, South Africa, Holland, Colombia, and Ecuador. The flowers would travel direct to the primary US and Canadian markets or in some cases, fly via IAG’s hubs in London and Madrid.
“It is a busy time of the year for flowering farms, floral retailers, and distributors who are all working hard to ensure consumers worldwide can cherish their loved ones this year,” says Freddie Overton, Regional Commercial Manager for Europe and Africa at IAG Cargo.
“We’re delighted to partake in the process, with our global network ready and capable of taking flowers right across the world. We have some of the best floral facilities in the world to help get Valentine’s flowers to market, looking as fresh as the day they were cut.”
IAG Cargo transported over 500 tonnes of flowers in the lead up to Valentine’s Day. Photo: IAG Cargo
Qatar Airways transports over 60 million roses this year
Valentine’s Day is the peak day of the year for florists, and the demand on flower producers is intense. Airlines with significant freight operations are big beneficiaries, but transporting fragile freight like flowers takes a high degree of planning and coordination. Qatar Airways is one of the biggest air freight operators globally and says the planning starts months in advance.
The ongoing impact of COVID-19 on available capacity and resources also added some complexity to the mix. However, this year Qatar Airways flew 60 million roses out of the key flower-producing countries of Kenya, Colombia, and Ecuador. Qatar flies the flowers to Liège in Belgium. From there, the flowers go by road to Amsterdam, Europe’s flower hub.
Qatar Airways also did brisk business this year flying flowers to Europe. Photo: Qatar Airways
Sophisticated facilities to keep the flowers fresh
IAG Cargo can draw on the resources of the five airlines within the IAG Group and has access to over 500 aircraft. Those aircraft operate some 15,000 flights each week to over 350 destinations. IAG Cargo is one of the world’s biggest airfreight operators.
Once on the aircraft, IAG Cargo uses cooling technology that maintains the quality of the most sensitive flowers. They also offer customers the ability to track temperature, humidity, and moisture levels during the shipment. Out of Kenya alone, IAG Cargo flies out over 7,500 tonnes of perishables every year.
There’s no word on exactly where the eight tonnes of champagne went in the Maldives. But the country is well-stocked with high-end resorts. If you’ve gone to the trouble (and expense) of taking your other half to the Maldives for Valentine’s Day, it’s kind of pointless skimping on the champagne.
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