Qatar Airways Cargo said it transported 5,000 tonnes of flowers for Valentine’s Day 2021, introducing additional flights and charters to cater to the demand in key markets.

Through its product, QR Fresh, which offers a seamless cool chain for the transport of flowers, the carrier said it moved millions of flowers worldwide which are mainly roses and carnations. 

It shipped the flowers from all over the world with the main markets being Ecuador, Colombia and Kenya.

Flowers were also uplifted from The Netherlands, India, South Africa, Uganda, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia among other countries.

“Valentine’s Day is a global celebration and there is no better way to express your love, than with flowers. We are glad to help spread tonnes of love and cheer around the world by introducing additional capacity and freighters on our key routes to support our customers,” said Guillaume Halleux, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo said. 

“Understanding the nature of these delicate flowers, we have special processes in place to ensure a seamless cold chain for their transport,” he added.

Additional freighter services

To meet the demand, Qatar Airways Cargo operated eight Boeing 777 freighters from Quito with flowers destined for European and Australian markets, in addition to its scheduled four weekly Boeing 777 freighters.

The carrier also added three freighters from Quito to Miami, in addition to the three regular rotations. Miami serves as one of the largest distribution hubs in the United States of America.

Qatar Airways Cargo also added 13 mini freighters and five Boeing 777 freighters from Nairobi, to support Valentine’s Day shipments besides transporting flowers on its regular four weekly Boeing 777 freighters.

From Bogotá, the carrier transported flowers on its two weekly Boeing 777 freighters. It is the airline’s fifth Valentine season from Ecuador, second from Colombia and sixteenth season from Kenya.

Overall in 2020, Qatar Airways Cargo uplifted close to 32,000 tonnes of flowers.