Many carriers working within networks that encompass major exporting regions of roses and tropical buds – e.g. East Africa and South America – offer additional services just to address the flux in demand from markets in Europe and North America.

Emirates SkyCargo is one such airline. Today, it said it has added nine 777 freighter flights out of Nairobi (NBO) and Quito (UIO) on top of its existing operations for the weeks preceding the holiday.

Earlier this year, SkyCargo launched a new freighter route from “Nairobi directly to Sydney and from Quito directly to Los Angeles” to bolster its perishables network. The airline’s program, Emirates Fresh Breathe, specializes in regulating the cool-chain of pre-assembled bouquets (pictured.)

UPS has also boosted its frequencies – adding a total of 50 charter flights during the period of heightened demand. It said it expects to deliver some 89 million flowers in time for Feb. 14 – an increase of about 1 million flowers from the quantity it delivered last year, which would add up to more than 4,000 tonnes of fragile, temperature-sensitive blossoms.

The integrator sources its flowers from Ecuador and Colombia and channels them to the U.S. through Miami International Airport (MIA), a process that the integrator says takes less than two days.

The company cited data from the National Retail Federation, which said that U.S. consumers will likely spend an estimated US$20.7 billion this week, up from $19.6 billion last year, on gifts for Valentine’s Day, of which about $1.9 billion is spent on flowers.

Based out of the astutely located Istanbul hub, the carrier reported today that it carried 906 tonnes of roses from Nairobi to the Netherlands between Jan. 16 and Feb. 12, in anticipation of European demand for flowers approaching Valentine’s Day.

Last week, due to a shortage of capacity caused by infrequent flights into Africa, flower exporters struggled to secure their spots on European-bound freighters, resulting in pandemonium amongst shippers to get their perishable commodities out in time to meet the surge in demand.

In a normal week, Turkish Cargo operates five flights from Kenya to the Netherlands, moving 340 tonnes of cut roses per week, meaning the carrier experienced a 165 percent increase during the pre-Valentine’s Day rush. Taking advantage of the increased demand for European-bound forwarders, it added an additional 12 flights on its newly acquired 777Fs for the week from its usual three.

As reported in today’s Wall Street Journal, the increase in global economic performance over the past year has led carriers to divert their aircraft to more profitable routes in Europe, Asia and the United States. While the trade increases have been a boon to carriers, reduced flights into Africa have left Kenya – the fourth-largest country in the world for cut flower exports by volume, and third largest in rose exports – scrambling to export a product with a short window of value.

Many carriers are doing their best to take advantage of the premium flowers command in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, including Cargolux, which added 1,200 tonnes of capacity to its flights from Nairobi, Quito and Bogota. UPS likewise expects to ship more than 8 million pounds of flowers to U.S. destinations.

However, the Journal reports that weekly flower volumes handled by Swiss forwarder Panalpina alone soared to 2,200 tons late in January, up from a more-typical 1,500 tons per week, and minimal demand for imports into Kenya contributes to difficulty making routes from Africa as profitable as those into other regions. With the shortage of available capacity, Panalpina had to charter more than 20 planes. The cost of flying roses to Europe subsequently increased to nearly twice usual rates at around US$2.90, while costs for longer routes rose to almost $6 per kilogram.

Those interested in learning more about perishables supply chains are invited to join us in Shanghai at the Mandarin Oriental Pudong 23-25 April for Cargo Facts Asia. To check out this year’s agenda, or to register, visit www.cargofactsasia.com

UPS said it expects to transport more than 8 million pounds of flowers – and a total of 88 million blossoms – to destinations in the United States, which the integrator said was equivalent to 64 filled 767 aircraft.

Frank Diaz, the global marketing manager for the UPS Americas region, said the carrier has expanded its temperature-controlled floral operations in recent days “to move more than 514,000 boxes of flowers. We take helping love bloom seriously.”

The latest figures from the National Retail Federation estimated that American consumers will spend an estimated US$19.6 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts, which is an increase from $18.2 billion in 2017, on gifts for Valentine’s Day. More than 10 percent for the total, or $2 billion, will be in the form of flowers.

Meanwhile, American Airlines Cargo, which shipped more than 18 million pounds of flowers alone in 2017, or about 25 tons per day, on average, said it expects to see an increase in 2018, especially for the most popular flowers: carnations, mini-carnations, roses and tropical flowers. Most Valentine’s Day flowers, the carrier added, come from Latin American countries, such as Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia.

Last year, AA Cargo said it also shipped more than 10 million pounds of flowers out of Amsterdam (AMS) into the United States. Since the carrier launched its direct seasonal service from Amsterdam (AMS) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), the route has providing additional support for the heavy spring flower demand the capital of Europe’s flower trade.

“We have to constantly monitor minimum and maximum temperature exposure throughout the entire routing process, and we have to meet very specific requirements to help ensure every flower’s freshness is properly preserved,” said David Vance, American’s vice president of cargo operations.

In June 2017, AA Cargo offered to ship flower with a “protective shield” to help maintain temperatures and prevent damage during shipment.

This year, the Chile-based carrier handled more than 160 million bouquets of flowers (around 9,000 short tons) in the three weeks leading up to V-Day, representing 21 percent of the total Latin American flower market over this period. By those estimates, almost 43,000 tonnes of flowers were exported by all carriers from Latin American markets.

Between Jan. 16 and Feb. 7, more than 140 LATAM cargo flights departed from Ecuador and Colombia, tripling the average number of weekly air cargo shipments. Between Bogotá and Miami, where LATAM transports 360 tons per week, on average, this figure reached 900 tonnes per week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Likewise, between Quito and Miami, shipments increased from 450 to 1,500 short tons per week.

In a typical week, Miami International Airport (MIA) receives about 5,000 tonnes of flowers from Ecuador and Colombia, but in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, this weekly traffic almost triples, surpassing 14,000 tonnes.

LATAM Cargo flew all the flowers for this Valentine’s Day in dedicated cargo aircraft, which have the capacity to ship between 3,100 and 5,200 boxes – equivalent to more than 2 million flowers per shipment.

That said, the surge of freighter capacity out of Latin America for low-value agricultural exports is not being offset by more lucrative imports. As a result, the temporary surge in outbound freight is unlikely to meet the levels of profitability that carriers achieved prior to Brazil’s economic collapse, currency devaluation and subsequent loss of domestic buying power.

Below: LATAM Cargo flower export operations

Those interested in learning more about air freight in 2017, should join us at Cargo Facts Asia in Shanghai, 25 – 26 April.  To register, or for more information, go to CargoFactsAsia.com

Luxembourg-based Cargolux said it also added a significant number of additional 747 freighter flights for this year’s Valentine’s Day. Combined with its regularly weekly flower services, Cargolux says it carries about 20,000 tonnes of fresh-cut flowers each year. One cubed-out 747F carries about four million flowers.

American Airlines worldwide flower shipments for Valentine’s Day ramped up over the first week of February as well. The carrier expects to transport between 10 and 15 tonnes of fresh cut flowers out of Amsterdam alone in the leadup to the commercial holiday.

In 2016, American transported more than 8,600 tonnes of flowers.  Between January and December 2016, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 70,000 tonnes of fresh flowers around the world.

Major flower exporters include the Netherlands, the U.S., Ecuador and Colombia. Flower exports are a major export for Latin American economies and volumes out of Africa from countries such as Kenya are on the rise as well. Between January 16 and February 7, over 140 cargo flights departed from Ecuador and Colombia, triple the average number of weekly air cargo shipments. Between Bogotá, Colombia and Miami, a route where LATAM transports an average of 360 tonnes per week, cargo reached 900 tonnes per week.

“In almost all cases, whether it’s a small boutique or a Costco shipment, air cargo helps flowers make their way onto shelves just days after they’re picked,” said Marah Schobert, regional manager, American Airlines Cargo Sales – MIA.

American seems to be aiming for more of a year-round slice of the flower action. Beginning May 5, the airline will implement a direct service from DFW to Amsterdam to “further support its growing flower and perishables business,” which it noted will be in time to accommodate Mother’s Day demand.

Below, Emirates SkyCargo decks out their freighter with a new seasonal livery.

During the lead-up to Valentine’s day this year, flower exports from Colombia and Ecuador alone reached about 35,000 tons. LATAM cargo has cornered 27 percent of this market at 10,500 tons, but, with exports on the rise, other carriers like Cargolux are bolstering their positions in the market.

Cargolux has been in the South American perishables market, including the flower transport business, for 17 years. The airline began its first charter flight to Bogotá in 1997, which was quickly bumped up to weekly flights to Colombia. Quito routes were added that same year, with feeder flights handled by Bogotá-based Aerosucre. Flights to Bogotá became scheduled services in late 2000.