Thursday, October 03, 2024
Avianca Cargo leads flower transportation from Colombia to North America

Avianca Cargo leads flower transportation from Colombia to North America

Avianca Cargo, leader in air cargo transportation, announces the closing of a new Valentine’s Day season, providing its customers with the highest levels of quality, service and punctuality. With close to 18,000 tons transported from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States, Avianca Cargo doubles its regular capacity for this product, operating around 300 flights during the season.

The company prepares months in advance for Valentine’s Day, and this year it’s focus was on implementing logistical solutions to ensure an efficient season. Avianca Cargo invested in infrastructure in Miami, the flower’s main destination, expanding and modernizing the Jetfloor (the type of floor used), offering a new configuration in the cooler, thus increasing its capacity by 83% to serve up to 6 flights simultaneously.

Also in Miami, the company set a new record in flower processing and delivery times to its customers, reducing them by 57%, and increased its perishable cargo depalletization (pallet breakdown) capacity by 40%. In Bogota, Avianca Cargo implemented extended receiving hours for 24/7 service on the receiving lines; increased personnel in the operation by 30%; and implemented a system with virtual scheduling that reduced cargo acceptance times by 56% compared to 2023.

“This Valentine’s Day season once again positions us as the leading cargo airline transporting flowers from Colombia to North America, doubling our capacity and strengthening the flower industry in the region. With the immense responsibility of fulfilling the customer’s promise, we executed a great season with service levels above 90%. This is an enormous effort by the Avianca Cargo team, inspired by the trust of our customers and with precise coordination with all the actors in the supply chain. Avianca Cargo has been there from the beginning and will continue to take our region’s flowers around the world for many years to come,” affirmed Diogo Elias, Senior VP of Avianca Cargo.

Among the most exported flowers this season by the airline were roses and carnations from Bogota; pompons, hydrangeas and chrysanthemums from Medellin; and roses, carnations and gypsophila from Quito.

“Colombian flower exporters must respond during special dates with quality and timeliness to thousands of international customers. The efficiency of this export process is due to the relationships between producers, authorities, suppliers, transporters and traders. By optimizing distribution times, among other aspects, our Petal Plan is recognized locally and internationally. In this sense, Avianca Cargo is and will be a very important ally for Colombian flowers to continue bringing joy to hearts in U.S. homes,” said Augusto Solano, president of the AsociaciĂ³n Colombiana de Exportadores de flores, Asocolflores.

As a tribute to the flowers from Latin American, Avianca Cargo celebrates the greatness of this product with an exclusive flower design on one of its airplanes as a symbol of its commitment to continue supporting the flower industry.

Picture of James Graham

James Graham

James Graham is an award-winning transport media journalist with a long background in the commercial freight sector, including commercial aviation and the aviation supply chain. He was the initial Air Cargo Week journalist and retuned later for a stint as editor. He continues his association as editor of the monthly supplements. He has reported for the newspaper from global locations as well as the UK.

Newsletter

Stay informed. Stay ahead. To get the latest air cargo news and industry trends delivered directly to your inbox, sign up now!

related articles

Connect and collaborate

AJW Group expand contract with Modern Logistics

Guiding principles for aviation data management