LATAM Cargo flew more than 210 767-300F aircraft out of Colombia and Ecuador, carrying 12,600 tons of flowers for the 2020 Valentine’s Day season, the carrier said in a press release. This year’s figure represents a growth of 45% year over year. LATAM attributed the increase to a strategy it implemented in 2019 that expanded its cargo operations with an increase in flight frequencies to Colombia and Ecuador.

LATAM Cargo nearly tripled its export offerings between Bogota (BOG) and Miami (MIA), from six to 15 weekly flights. In Medellin (MDE), the company maintains its presence with six-per-week frequencies to MIA. On the import side, LATAM Cargo opened the MIA-Cali (CLO) route with two weekly frequencies, to provide a greater flow of cargo from North America and a new gateway to Colombia. The company will soon announce new routes from the United States to Colombia, in addition to BOG and CLO.

This year, roses, mixed bouquets and carnations were the stars of the flower season, which extended from the week of Jan. 14 and through Feb. 10, according to the press release. Colombia and Ecuador were the main producers, and their flowers were shipped to the United States, the Netherlands and China, among other destinations. Chrysanthemums, irises, gypsophila and greenery were also big hits this season, mostly coming from BOG, MDE and Quito (UIO), and heading to markets in North America, Europe, Oceania, South America and Asia.

LATAM Cargo operated 110 flights out of Columbia after adding 38 new frequencies to its normal operation during this period, and in Ecuador it operated 100 flights, with 58 frequencies more than regular operation during these four weeks.

In all, the operation was 2.2 times larger than an ordinary week in Colombia and 3.5 times larger in Ecuador, totaling 6,600 tons of flowers transported from Colombia and 6,000 tons from Ecuador.

The main consumer of fresh flowers was the United States, with 90%, or 11,300 tons, of all flowers transported by LATAM. Demand went up 65% compared with a regular period, and 45% compared with Valentine’s Day 2019. Other importing markets include: the Netherlands and, to a lesser extent, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Madrid, Sydney, New York, Santiago and New Zealand.

Both routes began operations Feb. 11, and will be served on a permanent basis, with two frequencies per week operated by 767-300F aircraft. The new service is intended to support demand for general cargo, electronics, pharma and dangerous goods.

“These new launches will give our customers more options to choose from, strengthen connectivity and facilitate trade,” said Gabriel Oliva, LATAM Cargo’s commercial senior vice president for North America, Europe and Asia.

The MIA-PTY-BOG route aims to consolidate the role of Panama as an importing country and may also increase its exporting potential for cargo originating in the country to Bogota, Colombia, where it can connect with the many alternatives served by our narrow body fleet, or to Santiago (SCL), Lima (LIM) and Guarulhos (GRU) on widebody aircraft, the press release issued by LATAM stated.

The addition of the two routes follow LATAM Cargo’s launch of another twice weekly cargo service between MIA and LIM that began in late 2019.

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Although QR Cargo already has stations at each of the four South American cities identified for freighter service expansion, the carrier is making notable capacity increases. New flights include:

• Twice-weekly flights from Doha (DOH) to Bogotá (BOG) via Luxembourg (LUX) and Miami (MIA), returning to DOH via Liège (LGG).
• Twice-weekly flights from DOH to Campinas (VCP) via LUX, with return flights to DOH via Santiago (SCL), Lima (LIM), Dallas (DFW) and LUX

Qatar Airways Cargo (QR Cargo) has five more 777Fs on order as part of an agreement firmed up at the Paris Airshow. Deliveries are expected to commence in April 2020.

Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo, Qatar Airways, said, “The Americas are a very important market for us and there is a huge demand for South American fresh produce in Asia. With the introduction of our twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter services, we offer exporters in South America a direct route for their cargo and a global network. Importers also stand to gain from the huge capacity to bring in their cargo to South America.”

For more analysis on Qatar’s growing freighter network, see the story in our sister publication, Cargo Facts.

The route will primarily handle perishable cargo including “salmon and red fruits from Chile, flowers from Colombia, asparagus and mangoes from Peru and flowers and fruits from Ecuador,” Avianca Cargo General Managing Director Kurt Schosinsky said in a statement on Sept. 5.

DFW was selected for its central location within the United States, allowing for ground distribution throughout the country. The carrier added that the new route is also in line with its plans for the Bogota hub, which Avianca foresees as a consolidation point for South American cargo headed to Europe and Asia.