JOC Staff | Feb 19, 2013 1:01PM EST
Martinair was one of several carriers that helped with the pre-Valentine's Day rush.Amsterdam Airport Schiphol saw 800 metric tons of additional inbound freighter capacity, an increase of 30 percent, to its usual 26 weekly freight flights from Nairobi, Kenya, last week to cope with this year’s pre-Valentine’s Day rush, as growers in Africa hurried to get their roses in stores in time for Feb. 14.
Meanwhile, air freight and perishables truckers added 50 percent more vehicle movements in order to transfer the inbound flowers to destinations throughout Europe.
Rose sales through FloraHolland, Amsterdam’s flower auction house, increased two and a half times in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, reaching an estimated 100 million stems, of which 70 percent were imported by air freight. A total of 85 million stems were then re-exported by truck and air.
