In 2025, Grupo LATAM recorded a 30% share of cargo movement in South America , achieving revenues of 1.7 billion dollars (USD), equivalent to 11.4% of consolidated revenues, thus reaffirming the strategic relevance of this segment.

“Our leadership in South America is the result of a deep understanding of the market and a model that combines a dedicated cargo fleet with the capacity of the group’s passenger aircraft. This integration allows us to offer real flexibility to customers, respond to the seasonality of each industry, and maintain efficient and reliable connectivity throughout the year,” said Santiago Álvarez, Chief Commercial Officer of LATAM Cargo Group.

He specified that this regional leadership was accompanied by the company’s greatest expansion between Europe and South America, reaching 15 weekly cargo frequencies and increasing its capacity by 25% .

With this, the group consolidated the most extensive air cargo network between both continents, strengthening exports of perishable goods as well as imports of industrial and pharmaceutical cargo .

Álvarez emphasized that Grupo LATAM plays a fundamental role in the air transport of the most emblematic products of South American foreign trade, such as flowers, fruits and salmon.

As a specialist, he indicated that in the transport of perishables, the group’s operation prioritizes the preservation of the cold chain , from origin to final destination, ensuring consistent standards of quality and compliance in highly demanding markets.

In flowers, the group moved around 250,000 tons from Colombia and Ecuador during 2025 , maintaining a leading position in one of the most relevant flows of this product, between South America and the United States, as well as for the Valentine’s Day 2026 season, where LATAM led for the fourth consecutive year the air shipment of flowers from both countries to the United States and Europe.

From Chile, the company shipped approximately 80,000 tons of salmon, primarily to the United States, solidifying its leading position in this strategic segment with nearly 50% of the exported volume transported by air. In addition, it shipped over 70,000 tons of fruit from Chile, Peru, and Brazil, reinforcing its presence in key intercontinental trade routes.

Regarding imports to South America, the main products transported were industrial inputs, machinery, e-commerce goods , pharmaceuticals , among others. This segment registered a 7% growth in volume compared to 2014.

In particular, the pharmaceutical segment grew 43% in volume transported during 2025 and the specialized network reached 221 active routes under CEIV Pharma certification.

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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.

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The Netherlands is the world’s leading flower producer, accounting for around 68% of total floral production, while Colombia is currently the world’s second-largest exporter of cut flowers.

The LATAM Group, through its cargo subsidiaries, transported more than 25,000 tons of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador, a volume that represents a 4% increase compared to the same holiday last year.

“The strong results we achieved this Mother’s Day season are a clear testament to the trust our customers place in LATAM. Our commitment to the flower industry and to each and every one of them transcends peak demand periods,” said Claudio Torres Faini, Commercial Director for South America at LATAM Cargo Group.

The company significantly increased its cargo flight offering, increasing frequencies from Colombia and Ecuador by 48% for this celebration.

The Mother’s Day operation resulted in a logistical deployment of more than 430 takeoffs in just three weeks , of which 231 flights departed from Bogotá and Medellín, and 200 originated in Quito, connecting the flowers to key markets such as the United States and Europe.

Meanwhile, Avianca Cargo mentioned that this season closed with a new record , moving 20,100 tons of flowers transported from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States and Europe.

This, he explained, is an achievement that directly impacts the well-being of thousands of families, in an industry where 70% of formal jobs are held by women.

“Behind every flower is a team committed to a common purpose: to ensure that each flower arrives fresh, on time, and with the care that only a mother can understand. Thank you to our teams, partners, and customers for being part of this shared achievement, and to all the mothers who make it possible inside and outside our operations,” she said.

While the Maerks shipping company  indicated that while 93% of Colombia’s flower exports are transported by air, ensuring rapid delivery to meet the tight deadlines of this important holiday, 7% are shipped by sea.

Although he explained that although it is slower, maritime transport offers a significant advantage: it allows the transport of large volumes at carefully controlled temperatures.

For example, when flowers are transported from Colombia to the United States, the process begins with the harvest, then they are carefully packaged, pre-cooled, and loaded into temperature-controlled containers. They are shipped via the America Shuttle route from ports like Cartagena and Buenaventura to Miami, Jacksonville, and the Port of Hueneme. Upon arrival, shipments are inspected and transferred to cold storage facilities in cities like Charleston and Houston, maintaining optimal freshness. From there, they are distributed throughout the country through a temperature-controlled network.

“Behind every bouquet lies a complex and carefully timed logistics chain. The logistical challenge of keeping flowers fresh from the field to the florist is significant. Flowers, being highly perishable, require strict temperature control, specialized packaging, and precise transportation scheduling to maintain their freshness from the grower to the end customer,” he noted.

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When it comes to celebrating love on Valentine’s Day, February 14, air transport plays a key role. From chocolates that sweeten the date, to happy reunions at airports, to flowers that cross continents, “aviation connects hearts and makes it possible for every gift to arrive on time.”

“The value of air-freighted flower trade has increased dramatically, from $852 million in 2003 to $3.7 billion in 2024, a growth of 334.2 percent. As this market has grown, there has been a notable shift and concentration among its participants,” the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said .

He said that in 2003, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany dominated imports , with 66.3%, 12.1% and 4.4% respectively. By 2024, the United States imported 53.6% of the total , followed by the Netherlands with 31.2%, a major distribution centre for flower re-exports, and the United Kingdom, now far behind, with 5.5 percent.

Colombia was the leading exporter in 2003 , with a market share of 50.2 percent, followed by Ecuador with 16.2 percent, and the Netherlands with 8.9 percent. “Since then, Colombia has fallen back to 42.3 percent. The Netherlands has been dropped from the list in favor of expanding market shares by Ecuador and Kenya, as well as newcomer Ethiopia,” the agency said.

“Two key factors contributed to this shift. First, trade agreements reduced tariffs and barriers, increasing exports and opening markets for developing nations. Second, advances in air cargo, including improved refrigeration and logistics, ensured that flowers remained fresh and enabled uninterrupted global distribution of large volumes on time,” he said.

For its part, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) said that more than 25 thousand tons of flowers took off from Latin America to the United States and only from Colombia and Ecuador there are nearly 1,500 cargo flights dedicated only to this “fresh gift.”

He said Miami is the main gateway, receiving an average of 22 million flowers a day since mid-January, four times more than in other months.

While Colombia exports 92% of its flowers through more than 10 airlines, the logistics cost of air transport for the export of flowers on Valentine’s Day is estimated at 500 million dollars.

Starting on January 16 and for 21 days only, LATAM Cargo has been working on engineering work to ensure that millions of flowers – including carnations, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, alstroemerias and lilies – arrive fresh and intact to markets around the world.

“94% of the flowers we exported were destined for the United States. The remaining percentage was distributed between shipments to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and to countries in our region. In total, this season we transported nearly 25 thousand tons of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador. This is thanks to a fleet of 21 cargo planes, whose work we reinforced with the leasing of three more aircraft,” said Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines.

To achieve these results, he mentioned that frequencies were increased from Bogotá and Medellín to 36 flights a week, which for these dates double to 70. The same with Quito, from 24 to 56 weekly flights.

ALTA also noted that approximately 15% of the world’s cocoa is produced in Latin America and the Caribbean. In February 2024, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico exported chocolate and cocoa products worth 96.2 million dollars.

Brazil led air exports of chocolate and cocoa products in the region, sending 28 tons by air, the highest amount in the year. This volume marked a seasonal peak, as between January and February the export value grew by 457%, reaching 514,247 dollars.

Compared to the annual average for 2024, air exports of chocolate in February increased by 200% according to UN Comtrade.

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