Emirates SkyCargo has celebrated five years of facilitating exports of Ecuadorian roses and other flowers and perishables with freighter flights to Quito.
Weekly services were launched in December 2013, and due to demand, Emirates now operates four Boeing 777 Freighter flights a weekly from Ecuador’s capital city.
Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than 50,000 tonnes of exports from Quito since the first flight, with fresh flowers forming the bulk of export commodities.
In 2017 alone, close to 12,500 tonnes of fresh flowers were flown from Quito to other parts of Emirates’ network in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
High season for flower exports lasts between August and February but the peak demand for roses occurs in late January and early February in the run up to Valentine’s Day, often requiring additional capacity.
More recently, Emirates SkyCargo has also helped promote the growth of exports of perishables such as mangoes and baby bananas from Ecuador to markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Emirates Fresh helps flowers and perishables from Ecuador retain their freshness and longevity during their journey, and B777Fs have temperature zones to ensure perishables shipments travel at the right temperature.
