Iberia: more than 240,000 kg. of flowers carried for St. Valentine's Day
Mainly roses from Colombia and Ecuador
On the occasion of St. Valentine's Day, Iberia has brought some 240,000 kilograms of mainly Latin America flowers to Europe, and especially Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The most popular flowers, chiefly roses, are mainly from Colombia and Ecuador, although they also come from other Latin American countries where Iberia has a strong market presence.
Roses, carnations, orchids and other flowers are shipped on pallets holding 10 cubic meters and weighing 1,600 kg., made to fit the airline's cargo holds. In Madrid they are taken to refrigeration chambers in Iberia's freight terminal to await pickup by importers.
In 2008 Iberia Cargo carried more than 7 million kg. of flowers from 21 countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Costa Rica. While the import of flowers is constant throughout the year, demand peaks before St. Valentine's Day and All Saints' Day.
