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Every February, love takes flight in more ways than one. As millions prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day today with heartfelt gestures and floral bouquets, Delta Cargo is working behind the scenes to make sure these flowers arrive fresh and right on schedule. An incredible 600 tons of flowers were flown across Delta’s network last January and February alone.
From South America’s flower farms to florists around the world, Delta’s global cargo network helps transport the roses, carnations, and seasonal blooms that define the holiday. Two major routes form the backbone of Delta’s flower operation. They connect the world’s top growing regions directly to the United States:
- Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Colombia and Ecuador are global leaders in flower production (especially when it comes to Valentine’s favorites like roses and carnations). Delta’s service from Bogotá and Quito links growers not only to the United States, but also onward across the globe to destinations such as South Korea, Italy, and France. The goal is simple: keep flowers fresh, chilled, and Valentine’s-ready as they travel across Delta’s worldwide network.
January and February are the busiest months of the year for global flower shipping and Delta Cargo teams prepare long before the first rose is cut. Each year, Delta Cargo carries hundreds of tons of flowers in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. This season, thanks to wide-body fleet upgrades, Delta is offering even more cargo capacity to help deliver even more love around the world. Shipments from Colombia and Ecuador dominate the holiday rush. This is followed by key flower markets in the United States (including Florida and California) as well as major European connections through the Netherlands.
For fresh flowers, timing is everything. Growers and importers depend on Delta’s consistent operational reliability to ensure blooms reach the market in pristine condition. Behind every shipment is a carefully choreographed process involving temperature-controlled handling, time-sensitive transfers, and dedicated cargo specialists who understand just how delicate and important these deliveries are.
Flowers travel under Delta Cargo’s Specialized Fresh product and move through advanced cold chain facilities designed specifically for perishables. In Atlanta, blooms pass through state-of-the-art cooler storage. This includes two dedicated Specialized Fresh chambers inside Delta’s temperature-controlled facility at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
Once flowers arrive in Atlanta, many continue onward to markets and floral distributors across the United States and beyond. From Miami International Airport (MIA) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to major global cities like London and Paris, Delta’s worldwide reach helps ensure that florists, grocery chains, and local flower shops are stocked and ready for Valentine’s Day demand.
Anthony’s Take: Whether it’s a single rose or a dozen, it’s cool that Delta might have had a role in getting your valentine their flowers this year.
(Image Credits: Delta Air Lines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
