The first part of February is traditionally one of air cargo’s busiest seasons regarding the shipment of fresh cut flowers, thanks to the Valentine’s Day holiday.
      From field to store, these precious goods will eventually make it to the hands of many loved ones across the world.
      In 2016 alone, American’s Cargo division packaged and shipped more than 19 million pounds of flowers worldwide—a fact they’re quite proud of.
      Most of these flower shipments are grown in places like the Netherlands, the U.S., Ecuador, and Colombia. In fact, flowers are a top export from Latin America.
      Once picked, flowers are packaged and sent to American Cargo, then loaded onto the aircraft with one mission in mind: to warm hearts and brighten spirits.
      As the largest cargo hub in American’s network, Miami (MIA) plays a key role in the movement of flowers and other perishables. 
      MIA is both a destination and transiting hub for key flower producing locales like Quito, Ecuador (UIO), and Bogota, Colombia (BOG).
      So, for American’s MIA team, this means a busy February, shipping a plethora of fresh buds—mainly roses—through their hub.
      “We have local customers in MIA that distribute all types of flowers domestically, including Hawaii.
      “We also have flower importers from Latin America that contribute to our worldwide export volumes out of MIA,” said Marah Schobert, Regional Manager, Cargo Sales – MIA.
      In fact, flowers are a top export from Latin America.
      Once picked, flowers are packaged and sent to Cargo, then loaded onto their aircraft for shipment across the globe, especially to European destinations like London, Amsterdam, Madrid, and Paris.
      The American Cargo MIA team offers all of their perishable customers temperature-controlled shipping options to help maintain the highest possible quality throughout transport. Specifically for the MIA team, February isn’t the only busy flower month. They also see an increased amount of flower and other perishable shipments in October and May, right before Mother’s Day.
      So why should folks trust American with their delicate perishables?
      The answer is quite simple, Schobert says.
      “We offer a reliable service with a network that supports flawless transportation around the world.”
      It’s clear that American’s Cargo team is everybody’s Valentine! They take pride in the flowers they ship, as they know many happy people will end up bringing them home to someone special this February 14—or any time of year.   
Geoffrey