Hey there!
Did you know that air transportation plays a massive role in making Mother’s Day extra special? That’s right! As Mother’s Day approaches, airlines and cargo carriers are super busy bees, flying millions of blooms across the globe to ensure they arrive fresh and fabulous for the big day. Flowers like roses, lilies, and tulips take a high-flying journey, often traveling from countries like the Netherlands, Colombia, and Kenya, straight to your local florists. This swift transit is crucial because it keeps the flowers vibrant and perky, just in time to put a huge smile on Mom’s face. So next time you pick up that gorgeous bouquet, remember the incredible journey it’s been on, all thanks to the wonders of air transportation.
Yups..Well, it’s all thanks to the sharp eyes and quick planning of airlines. They’re like the unsung heroes of holiday prep, seriously. Airlines have these cool teams who keep tabs on what’s needed where and when. For Mother’s Day, for instance, demand for flowers spikes like crazy, especially in places like the U.S. and Europe.
Airlines use historical data, market trends, and some pretty nifty forecasting tools to predict when the demand is gonna shoot up. They know that around Mother’s Day, tons of flowers need to fly from Latin America – think Ecuador and Colombia, which are like the flower gardens of the world – to other parts of the globe. The timing has to be spot on because, you know, flowers don’t last forever. They’re perishable, which means they need to move fast and in perfect condition.
Now, handling them is another story. Airlines have to be super careful. It’s not like shipping t-shirts. Flowers need a specific environment to stay fresh. They’re shipped in temperature-controlled environments and need to be handled gently to avoid damage. Plus, the timing is super tight. There’s no room for delays because even a few hours can make a difference in how fresh the flowers look when they reach mom’s vase.
Well, little bit glimpse on Perishable cargo packing and handling :
Wet cargo must not be accepted unless it is packed adequately so as not to cause damage to or stain aircraft, equipment or any other property by leakage or emission.
Contents (including wet ice) must be packed with waterproof material in double layers
The opening of waterproof material must be sealed/closed in accordingly..
The packages must be strong enough to endure a stacked-up height and the packages must bear “This Way Up” label/marking.
Packing method
Waterproof material must be one of the following:
- Polyethylene bag,
- Polyethylene sheet,
- Styrofoam box, plastic container or steel can,
Corrugated cardboard boxes and wooden boxes by themselves are not regarded as waterproof material.
Packing method using waterproof material must be one of the following:
- Wrap up a Styrofoam box (or plastic container, steel can) containing contents with polyethylene bag (or polyethylene sheet) . In this case, a corrugated cardboard box or a wooden box is required as an outer packaging.
and so on and so fort…that’s how the heroes of perishable movements performing complience in Perishable loads transportation.
Switching gears a bit, let’s talk about Indonesia. It’s another hotspot for seasonal commodities. Besides beautiful flowers, Indonesia is rich in stuff like coffee, spices, and seafood, which have their own peak seasons. For instance, during certain months, the demand for Indonesian coffee or spices like cinnamon can soar in international markets.
Airlines looking to tap into these opportunities need to be as sharp as they are with flowers. It means understanding when the harvest seasons are, what the international demands are like, and getting all the logistics lined up perfectly. For coffee, it’s all about keeping those beans fresh and aromatic, very similar to how they handle flowers but, you know, less about temperature and more about keeping them dry and safe.
So, in short, airlines are doing a lot more than just flying people around. They’re crucial in making sure that seasonal commodities, whether it’s roses for Mother’s Day from Colombia or cinnamon from Indonesia, reach their destinations fresh and ready for consumption. It’s a complex dance of timing, logistics, and market savvy, but when it all comes together, it’s pretty awesome. And it all adds up to major business opportunities for those airlines that get it right.
Salam Sehat Semangat Sukses
Bambang Purnomo , SS-BA, CSCA, CAVM Solution Consultant
