Thousands of flowers from various parts of the world “began their journey through the clouds” days before February 14, Valentine’s Day, a logistical operation in which the participation of cargo carriers is essential for this product to arrive fresh and radiant at its destination.

Mexican freighter MAS reported that between January 28 and February 8, its operations reached a new milestone in its market dominance, transporting 70% of all flowers delivered to Los Angeles , in the United States during this period.

“This feat of precision required a ‘cold water chain’ that included 55 tons of fresh cargo and a rigorous schedule of two continuous daily flights from our strategic hub in Quito,” he explained through his social media.

During the aforementioned period, it carried out 17 specialized flights using its A330-200 and A330-300 freighters to ensure maximum reliability, and also successfully operated flower cargo flights from Bogotá for the first time.

“By ensuring that the vast majority of South American flower exports arrive in the United States in their best condition, MAS continues to drive the pulse of regional trade,” he said.

Meanwhile, LATAM Cargo reported that during peak seasons like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, it transports extraordinary volumes of flowers, maintaining the highest quality standards in every shipment from Colombia and Ecuador. They also reported that in the last three weeks, they have doubled their operations to over 460 flights.

The airline stated that millions of flowers begin their journey from Latin America to the world, and therefore they are prepared to meet the high demand with the efficiency and care required, as well as specialized infrastructure to ensure that each shipment arrives fresh at its destination.

“We continue to consolidate our leadership in the region. Today we have nearly 40% market share, driving this key industry for the country and consolidating a trajectory of sustained growth,” he said.

Similarly, Gabriel Olvia, president of Avianca Group, mentioned through his LinkedIn account that during this Valentine’s Day season, they moved 15,000 tons of flowers.

“It fills us with joy to bring the best of Colombia to the world, strengthening a value chain that drives economic and social development,” he said.

Jaime Álvarez, Senior Director of Cargo at Copa Airlines, told T21 that due to the season there is a high demand for flowers in various parts of the world, although especially towards Europe.

“We are bringing in additional flights and bringing them to Quito to send them to Europe. What the flowers need is to move quickly and not get stuck somewhere, and that’s where Panama works very well. We move the cargo in a matter of hours,” he explained.

He specified that for this season they expect to move about 200 tons because they have a second cargo ship.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Flowers “conquer the skies” for Valentine’s Day apareció primero en T21.

Copa Airlines considered that the Cancun International Airport, belonging to the Southeast Airport Group (Asur), could be a “good transit point” for the movement of cargo to Europe; however, the customs system delays the handling of merchandise.

Jaime Álvarez, Senior Cargo Director of the airline, commented that as a result of this situation they have stopped using this Mexican airport, diverting this operation through the Dominican Republic, where they handle up to 40 tons per week.

“The location is cheaper than Mexico, and the biggest problem is time. They want to hold the cargo and inspect it, doing things that have no value, and that’s why it takes longer, and that doesn’t help us. Air cargo should move quickly and without additional costs; paying more doesn’t make sense,” he stated.

In an interview following his participation in Cargo Facts Latam, he reiterated that the key factor in air cargo is speed and competitiveness; otherwise, there is maritime transport.

He explained that Cancun has a high volume of passenger flights, so there is a large availability for cargo transport through its cargo holds, but the customs system is not an option.

In this regard, he commented that they have met with Mexican authorities on several occasions, however, there has been no progress on the issue.

“Cancun is a place where Mexico has a lot of opportunity and they haven’t solved it,” he said.

Copa Airlines currently operates two cargo flights to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) , in addition to passenger flights to Cancún, Guadalajara, Los Cabos, Monterrey and Mexico City International Airport (AICM)

Regarding their operations at AIFA, he noted that “there are no opportunities, since it is the only airport that allows us to operate cargo flights; it is a good airport and we are functioning well. There are always possibilities (to increase operations), but we just implemented an increase, and after it is consolidated, we will see if there is a need for more.”

Luis Alejandro Ortiz, Cargo Manager, commented that cargo operations at Felipe Ángeles Airport are not saturated and allow the use of slots (takeoff and landing times), however, they want to improve customs, staff rotation, among other things.

However, he noted that Copa Airlines handles more cargo through Mexico City International Airport (AICM) due to the large number of passenger flights it operates to that airport. It runs six daily flights, although the cargo is different.

On another topic, Jaime Álvarez mentioned that the airline is making investments in the Panama International Airport for cargo handling, including increasing the cargo reception and dispatch areas, given the increase in merchandise handling they have registered.

“Panama has the advantage of having space; it’s not compromised. It continues to grow very rapidly and will continue to do so; the cargo sector is also experiencing very healthy growth. The country is an ideal location for cargo; it’s in the heart of the Americas,” he explained.

He ruled out adding more cargo planes to the company this year; they currently operate two, although they have 130 passenger aircraft that can carry up to three tons.

Álvarez explained that the airline avoided the impact of US tariffs because its operations are primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“There’s a tendency to avoid the United States when cargo comes from Asia or Europe, and we handle a lot of merchandise from these countries. We operate a large volume in the Caribbean, where we get cheaper space, more frequent service, good product and service, and we make this a good transit point for Europe,” he said.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Cancun is not an option for Copa Airlines in cargo. apareció primero en T21.

Copa Airlines

Mauro Arredondo, the airline’s general manager in Mexico, explained that the lack of aircraft motivated the pause at AIFA , however, its freighter does arrive in Santa Lucía.

“At AIFA, operations were temporarily suspended. We suspended them a few months ago, that’s the status, and we plan to eventually resume those operations. This was due to an issue with the delivery of equipment (aircraft) from the manufacturer; we experienced some delays,” he explained.

In an interview with T21, he pointed out that the freighter transports a variety of goods not only from Panama but also from various Latin American countries . He explained that they handle medicines, agricultural products, among other goods.

“It’s a business that’s growing and consolidating. We have a dedicated freighter that’s an example of how demand for cargo, not just passengers, has been increasing in parallel,” he explained.

Arredondo stated that not having more aircraft is one of the main constraints to increasing their cargo capacity to the country. They currently have 102 aircraft and expect to close this year with 114 aircraft.

Copa Airlines operates six daily flights to and from Mexico City International Airport (AICM) , “for now, what we want is to consolidate the capacity we’ve increased.”

In addition to this operation, they also arrive in Cancún, Quintana Roo; Guadalajara, Jalisco; Monterrey, Nuevo León; and, starting December 4, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur.

“Whenever possible, we will seek new opportunities and provide greater connectivity to the Mexican market, which remains very important for Copa,” Arredondo said.

He stated that the airline has now recovered its pre-COVID-19 pandemic capacity in the Mexican market, “even more, we are operating more frequencies, and we are growing as the industry does.”

On August 12, Copa Airlines held the Panama Caravan in Mexico , seeking to promote Panama’s tourism offerings. Among the travelers were hoteliers, car rental companies, and others, who interacted with retail and wholesale travel agents, as well as event and convention organizers.

“We brought Panama’s entire tourism offering. We want them to be up-to-date on how the market has changed in terms of experiences, beaches, culture, and cuisine. We’re also promoting Copa Airlines’ extensive connectivity between countries,” he emphasized.

He specified that the caravan will also be in Monterrey and Guadalajara, cities where the airline has increased its frequencies.

Comment and follow us on X:  @evandeltoro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Copa Airlines has a new destination in Mexico; AIFA will remain suspended. apareció primero en T21.