Avianca Cargo moves a record volume of flowers to the US, powering the busiest season for global floriculture
Miami, 16 February 2026 – During the 2026 Valentine’s Day season, Avianca Cargo once again proved why it is the leading carrier of flowers from Latin America to the United States. Over the peak holiday period, the airline transported around 19,000 tonnes of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador, ensuring fresh blooms reached American markets on time for one of the year’s most important gifting moments.
To handle the seasonal surge, Avianca Cargo operated nearly 320 dedicated freighter flights to major US gateways, including Miami and Los Angeles. The operation ran at full pace for more than three weeks, with the airline managing close to one cargo flight per hour on the busiest day of the season.
In simple terms, moving flowers at this scale requires speed, precision, and careful temperature control. To meet demand, Avianca Cargo invested in infrastructure upgrades and expanded its workforce by more than 30 percent, deploying trained teams at critical handling hubs. The airline also relied on a joint fleet of nine freighter aircraft, working in coordination with its Mexico-based operations to maintain smooth flows across borders.
According to Diogo Elias, chief executive officer of Avianca Cargo, the season was about delivering trust at the industry’s most critical moment. One in every three Colombian flowers exported to the United States travelled on an Avianca Cargo aircraft, reinforcing the company’s long-standing leadership in floral logistics.
A key focus throughout the operation was protecting product quality. Flowers were handled end to end in temperature-controlled environments, stored in internal coolers kept between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius, and transported in aircraft with climate-controlled cargo holds. This cold-chain discipline is essential to preserve freshness from farm to florist.
Colombia remains the world’s largest exporter of cut flowers to the United States, and Valentine’s Day is the peak stress test for the entire supply chain. By securing the top position for flower transport on this route, Avianca Cargo strengthened its role as a critical link between growers and global consumers.
Looking ahead, the airline says it plans to build on this momentum by continuing to invest in service quality, operational innovation, and capacity for perishable goods. While flowers remain its flagship product, the broader goal is to expand leadership in temperature-sensitive cargo across key markets in North America and Europe.
