• More than 100 cargo aircraft took off during the three-week season, transporting 26% of the region’s total flower market.
  • While 80% of the flowers are shipped to the US, the remaining 20% is shipped to Europe.
  • Red roses, carnations, chrysanthemums and pompom flowers are most in demand. 
More than 160 million bouquets of flowers were transported by LATAM Airlines Group’s cargo unit during the three weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, the peak time for flower exports around the world. This season, LAN CARGO and its affiliates transported 26% of the region’s total flower market, which represents around 9,026 tons. Approximately 100 cargo aircraft operated by LATAM Airlines Group’s cargo unit took off from Colombia and Ecuador between January 18 and February 7, tripling the average number of flights operated throughout the year. On the Bogotá-Miami route, on which 410 tons are transported on average per week, the figure reached 1,040 tons for St. Valentine’s. The same happened on the Quito-Miami route: weekly shipments went from 510 tons to 1,300 tons during the season. Thus, Valentine’s season shipments almost tripled average shipments on both these routes. During these three weeks, freighters take off from Bogotá, Medellín (Colombia) and Quito (Ecuador) and fly mainly to the United States and the Netherlands. Most cargo aircraft land in Miami, one of the most important distribution hubs in the world and the base of operations for LATAM Airlines Group cargo unit. Eighty per cent of the Colombian and Ecuadorian flowers transported by LATAM Airlines Group cargo unit enter the United States through Miami International Airport and, out of that total, 90% remains in Florida and the remaining 10% is transported mainly to Los Angeles. “Even if we transport flowers year-round, there are two key dates, St. Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, on which we need to put all our energy in and work coordinately to meet the sharp increase in demand. This leads to us transporting three times more than what we fly on regular weeks”, said Cristián Ureta, LAN CARGO’s CEO. Flowers are transported in freighters, with a loading capacity of between 3,100 and 5,200 boxes. Thus, every aircraft transports around 2 million flower stems, which added up cover the entire US female population of around 160 million women. This means that, for St. Valentine’s Day, LAN CARGO and its affiliates transport at least one flower for every woman in the United States. Flower market in Colombia and Ecuador Even though some Latin American countries like Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala have their own flower production, the main producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which export more than 35,000 tons of fresh flowers to more than 90 countries, just during Valentine’s season. Floriculture is fundamental to both countries’ economies, representing their top non-traditional agricultural export. The main varieties transported are red roses, carnations, pompoms and chrysanthemums. In 2014, LAN CARGO and its affiliates transported a total of 115,000 tons of flowers from these two countries, achieving a market share of approximately 26%. The flower market remains active throughout the year, though demand peaks during Valentine’s season (January and February) and Mother’s Day season (April and May). These flowers arrive at LAN CARGO’s facilities in Miami and, while rigorously maintaining the cold chain required for their transportation and preservation, are distributed to different cities in the United States and, in smaller quantities, to Europe via Amsterdam, and Australia and New Zealand via Sydney.