IAG Cargo carries 500 tonnes flowers for Valentine's Day
Shipments up 23 percent by sold tonnes from 2021 with tulips, roses, carnations and chrysanthemums most in demand.
IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group, has transported over 500 tonnes of flowers across its network in time for Valentine's Day this year with an additional special shipment of 8 tonnes of champagne from London to the Maldives.
Greater capacity has supported the uptick in flower shipments, which are up 23 percent by sold tonnes from 2021 with tulips, roses, carnations and chrysanthemums proving most in demand.
IAG Cargo, over the past few weeks, has been operating flights across its network from Kenya, India, South Africa, Holland, Colombia and Ecuador to destinations across the United States, Canada and into its hubs at London, UK and Madrid, Spain. Many of the flower shipments from Kenya, in particular, have been transported on the widebody Boeing 777-300, maximising the number of goods for the celebration of romance and love across the world.
"Valentine's Day flowers rely on a complex supply chain with IAG Cargo and freight forwarders working to transport the flowers from farms to customer shelves within 72 hours of being cut within temperatures of between 0 and 8°C," an official statement said. IAG Cargo specialises in the required cold chain management via its Constant Fresh service, designed to optimise the longevity of perishables,the statement added.
"It is a busy time of the year for flowering farms, floral retailers and distributors who are all working hard to ensure consumers worldwide can cherish their loved ones this year," says Freddie Overton, Regional Commercial Manager for Europe & Africa, IAG Cargo. "We're delighted to partake in the process with our global network ready and capable of taking flowers right across the world. We have some of the best floral facilities in the world to help get Valentine's flowers to market, looking as fresh as the day they were cut."
IAG Cargo is the single business created following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo in April 2011, followed by the integration of Aer Lingus, Vueling and bmi,
IAG Cargo had a revenue of €1.306 billion in 2020, and a combined workforce of more than 2,250 people. International Airlines Group is one of the world's largest airline groups with 533 aircraft at the end of December 31, 2020.
