Quito celebrates record cargo year and flowers galore

Quito International Airport, one of the world’s biggest handlers of fresh flowers, processed an astonishing 20,112 tonnes of flowers in the 23 days building up to and including Valetine’s Day.

“This achievement is all the more commendable because we were still in the midst of a battle with the omicron variant and, despite all the adversities that this strain brought, we achieved this great milestone,” said Ramón Miró, president and CEO of Corporación Quiport.

The volume exported in this high season is the highest achieved at the Quito airport since its opening in February 2013, exceeding the 19,177 metric tons reached in 2020, the second-best year of Valentine’s Day exports.

It should be noted that with a few exceptions, cargo volumes in Quito have steadily risen since the airport opened, peaking in 2021 when a record 272,700 tonnes of freight passed through the gateway.

The total is an impressive 15.8% up on the previous record, set before the global pandemic, in 2019.

Miró highlighted the importance of teamwork among all the actors involved in air cargo logistics.

“I want to congratulate and thank Tabacarcen, cargo agencies, palletisers, airlines, ground service companies and all the operators that provide services associated with cargo at the Quito airport,” he stated.

“A very successful season has been managed despite all the difficulties, guaranteeing proper management of the cold chain, and preserving the quality of our export flowers so that they can reach their destination in optimal conditions.”