SEVENTY per cent of floral products move during the three-month period from Valentine's Day to Mother's Day May 11, reports New York's FreightWaves.

Transporting flowers requires intricate logistics processes, such as temperature-controlled equipment and storage.

The floral industry continues to expand, reaching US$9.5 billion in retail sales last year, a 47 per cent increase over five years, according to consumer research specialist Circana.

Avianca's cargo division has had a record-breaking season shipping flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to North America, according to a company news release.

To meet heightened demand, the airline doubled its regular capacity, prioritised on-time performance and improved processing efficiency.

During the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, Avianca operated about 300 freighter flights, carrying about 18,000 tons of flowers to key hubs like Miami and Los Angeles. The airline expanded its US operations team by 30 per cent and made other investments to support the increased demand.

Miami International Airport is the largest gateway in the United States for flowers, handling more than 90 per cent of all imports by air.

The airport authority projects that more than 1,500 tons of cut flowers will arrive daily in the first two months of the year, a three per cent increase over the airport's record-breaking peak season in 2024.