By this coming March, Lufthansa Cargo will stop its twice-weekly service carrying cut flowers from Ecuador and Colombia, by way of Puerto Rico, and onward to Frankfurt. By stopping in Puerto Rico, the service fell within the guidelines for operating in accordance with the open-skies agreement between the United States and the European Union.
However, KLM Cargo and Dutch Civil Aviation authorities objected, which began a legal dispute. Now, Lufthansa says it will not operate the scheduled service based on an adjustment in its flight schedules, not because of the legal situation.
Lufthansa still plans to import flowers from Bogotá and Quito for the upcoming Valentine’s and Mother’s Day festivities, both huge holidays for flower sales.