A few days before Valentine's Day, the Colombian carrier Avianca is celebrating 50 years of moving flowers from South America to the United States. This year, between January 16th and February 8th alone, Avianca Cargo transported close to 18,000 tons of flowers.

A booming market

The air cargo market, despite facing some headwinds, has been booming over the last few years. Avianca Cargo has taken advantage of that and has become one of the air freighter leaders in the Latin American region. In the last few weeks, the airline has carried close to 18,000 tons of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States, compared to 16,000 tons the previous year.

Avianca Cargo knows Valentine’s Day is, historically, one of the best days for florists in the United States. With love floating in the air, Americans are expected to spend nearly US$26 billion on February 14 this year, up from US$23.9 billion last year, according to a report from CBS News.

Airlines play a crucial role in delivering products often purchased during the Valentine’s Day season, including flowers. Among the most exported flowers this season by the airline, roses, and carnations from Bogota, pompons, hydrangeas, and chrysanthemums from Medellin, and gypsophila from Quito were the most exported.

Photo: Avianca Cargo.

A segment rooted in tradition

Avianca has been in the business of carrying flowers for 50 years now. The airline operated its first flight loaded with flowers to the United States in 1973, taking at the time only 12 tons.

Colombia’s Association of Flower Exporters (Asocolflores), which is also celebrating 50 years in the business, said that they are celebrating half a century of promoting a competitive and sustainable floriculture industry together with Avianca Cargo. Augusto Solano, president of Asocolflores, added,

“Avianca Cargo has been a fundamental ally in the distribution chain for Colombian flowers to reach more than 100 countries in the world. Each flower that reaches the international market has the seal of the 200,000 formal workers in our sector.”

Meanwhile, Gabriel Oliva, CEO of Avianca Cargo, added that this new Valentine’s Day season reaffirmed the company as a leader in promoting and strengthening the competitiveness of the Colombian and Ecuadorian flower industry. Exporting flowers is not an easy task. Oliva added that the airline must coordinate precisely along the entire value chain to guarantee that the delivery will be done with the highest quality standards and on time. Avianca Cargo is the first airline in the Americas to be certified with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) CEIV Fresh. This program, which Avianca Cargo obtained last year, certifies the airline is able to transport perishable goods with the highest quality.

Carrying perishable goods through the air is crucial in the Latin American region. The air cargo market plays a vital role in the economies of the region. Peter Cerdá, regional vice president of IATA in the Americas, said:

“In many countries, agricultural exports contribute significantly to the socio-economic development. Almost 70% of all goods shipped via air freight between Latin America and North America consist of perishable products. Without the cooperation and collaboration of companies in the cold chain, and without harmonized global guidelines and standards followed by all, the risks of something going wrong are quite high."

Are you impressed by the tons of flowers carried by Avianca Cargo this season? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: CBSNews.