Avianca Cargo will increase its cargo capacity to Miami by 20% by the end of this year as it continues to invest in transporting fresh flowers.
The Bogotá, Colombia-headquartered carrier, which last week participated in Expo Flor Ecuador, said it currently offers 10 weekly cargo flights for flower shipments from Quito in Ecuador, seven to Miami and three to Los Angeles.
“During the event, we announced that by the end of 2024, we would increase our cargo capacity to Miami by 20%, in preparation for the major seasons of 2025,” said Avianca Cargo in a LinkedIn post on October 10.
For US Mother’s Day this year, the airline transported more than 400m stems weighing around 18,000 tons on some 300 flights from Colombia and Ecuador to the US.
In 2023, the carrier reported carried around 19,000 tons of flowers in the run-up to Mother’s Day.
Meanwhile, the LATAM Group said it had transported around 24,000 tons – a 20% increase year on year.
To prepare for February’s flower season this year, Avianca Cargo invested in infrastructure in Miami, the flower’s main destination, expanding and modernising the ‘Jetfloor’ of aircraft used and offering a new configuration in the cooler. The carrier said this increased its capacity by 83% to serve up to six flights simultaneously.
Avianca Cargo currently has five Airbus A330-200 freighters in its fleet, according to Planespotters.
The carrier’s route network connects more than 68 destinations with 220 weekly cargo flights. The airline also utilises over 1,800 passenger flights for cargo transport.
Avianca ups cargo capacity for Mother’s Day celebration
Flower volumes bloom for air cargo when love is in the air
