London Heathrow airport is expecting to handle three times its average monthly throughput of flowers this month; a surge directly attributable to Valentine’s Day. Approximately 570 tonnes of roses, or 7.8m stems, are expected to pass through the airport on their way into the UK – a mere fraction of the estimated 250m roses that are grown worldwide to cater for the increased demand around the romantic holiday
In the main, most bouquets purchased for the occasion in the UK will originate from countries along the equator. In 2015, for example, Kenyan roses accounted for 60% of rose imports at Heathrow – with the remainder from Colombia, India, Tanzania, and Ecuador. For consumers in the US, close to 80% of the flowers will be imported from Colombia, the world's second-biggest flower exporter.
Nick Platts, Head of Cargo, Heathrow, commented: “While Heathrow’s cargo team may be best known for their daily handling of smoked salmon and engine materials, Valentine’s Day brings out the crew’s sensitive side as the warehouses are infused with the scent of red roses. Passengers flying through Heathrow in February may be surprised at the amount of fresh flowers that are under their very seats courtesy of the airport’s direct connections to places like Kenya, Colombia, and India.”
In the week running up to Valentine’s Day this year, Emirates SkyCargo has operated an extra four freighters per day from Nairobi, on top of scheduled services, bringing close to an additional 350 tonnes of flowers into Amsterdam. Additional capacity was also deployed to supplement the airline’s three-times-a-week freighter service between Quito in Ecuador and Amsterdam.
The freight airline also unveiled a themed livery on one of its Boeing 777-F freighter aircraft in acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day. Revealed at the Emirates Aircraft Appearance Centre in Dubai, the rose-themed decal is the first of its kind for Emirates SkyCargo and is designed to illustrate the significant contribution made by the air carrier to the horticulture industry.
