IAG Cargo transports seasonal flowers to Spain for All Saints' Day
IAG Cargo is successfully transporting hundreds of tonnes of fresh-cut flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to Spain for the All Saints' Day events.
Flowers have long played a central role in Spain's annual All Saints' Day commemorations, which take place each year on 1 November. During this poignant national holiday, families across the country travel to cemeteries to remember their departed loved ones and pay their respects. This enduring cultural tradition naturally brings about a massive seasonal increase in the demand for fresh-cut flowers throughout the Spanish market. To meet this intense, concentrated spike in consumer appetite, significant volumes of high-quality blooms must be swiftly transported from major flower-growing regions situated in Latin America over to Europe in the critical weeks leading up to the occasion.
Stepping up to facilitate this monumental logistical challenge is IAG Cargo, the dedicated cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG). The carrier is actively supporting this crucial seasonal movement, successfully transporting hundreds of tonnes of delicate flowers from agricultural hubs in Colombia and Ecuador directly to Spain during the month prior to this year's nationwide celebrations. Notably, these transatlantic floral shipments have increased significantly when compared with the equivalent period in 2025, highlighting a robust recovery and an expanding market for Latin American perishables in Southern Europe.
For the various aviation and logistics professionals involved in these operations, flexibility and extensive network capacity are paramount. Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager, Americas, at IAG Cargo, said:
“All Saints’ Day is an important annual occasion for communities across Spain, with flowers playing a central role in the tradition of remembrance. In the weeks leading up to 1 November, our teams work closely with partners across Latin America to assess demand and make the most of available capacity. This flexibility helps our customers get flowers to market on time and fulfil orders during one of their busiest periods of the year.”
For the specialised freight forwarding businesses involved in physically moving these fragile flowers from Latin America to Spain, this specific holiday occasion easily represents one of the most commercially important and operationally demanding periods of the entire calendar year. Real Carga Ltda, a prominent freight forwarder headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, begins its meticulous planning processes many months in advance in order to accurately anticipate consumer demand and smoothly coordinate the necessary airline shipments.
Ernesto Bernal, CEO at Real Carga Ltda, commented: “All Saints’ Day is probably our most important peak season of the year. We begin preparing months in advance, monitoring demand and production before coordinating with our partners across the supply chain to ensure we can deliver the volumes our customers need.”
The logistical hurdles are considerable, particularly when dealing with products that have such a strictly limited shelf life. The sudden, sharp surge in market demand places immense pressure on cargo space and cold chain infrastructure.
Andrés Bernal, COO of Real Carga Ltda, added: “Capacity is one of the biggest challenges when demand increases so sharply. Flowers are time-sensitive products, and our priority is to deliver on our commitments to customers in Spain, with every shipment arriving fresh and on time. IAG Cargo has historically worked hard to support us during this important peak season, helping us manage the increase in demand. We value this partnership and the support it provides in keeping flowers moving to our customers.”
To ensure these fragile blooms survive the long-haul journey in pristine condition, IAG Cargo transports the flowers to Spain utilising its specialised Constant Fresh service. This premium product is meticulously designed to meet the highly specific handling requirements of temperature-sensitive perishable goods. Upon arrival in Europe, the shipments are processed through the carrier’s state-of-the-art Madrid hub, which boasts 1,340 square metres of dedicated space strictly for temperature-controlled perishable cargo, thereby robustly supporting the rapid handling of these highly time-sensitive shipments before their final distribution to local florists. Beyond seasonal floral peaks, the Constant Fresh network continually supports global exporters of seafood, fresh fruit, and vegetables across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and beyond, securely connecting producers with consumer markets around the world.
