Fresh connections
That was a good harvest! Latam Cargo transported 6,600 t of cut flowers from Colombia and 6,000 t from Ecuador in the first weeks of this year. The host of Intermodal South America even has a new facility for fish, fruit and vegetables in the trade fair’s hub.
Latam Cargo, preparing for Valentine’s Day on 14 February, flew 45% more flowers from South America to the world compared to previous years – “which shows our commitment to this special activity,” according to Felipe Caballero, Latam Cargo’s senior revenue manager for South America. The most important points of departure in Latam Cargo’s network for this niche activity are Quito (Ecuador) and Bogotá and Medellín (both Colombia).
Latam Cargo recently added two north–south routes to its network; flights on the Miami–Panama–Bogotá and Miami–Cali routes. Both have been active since 11 February, with Boeing B767-300Fs deployed twice a week. They will meet US exporters’ demand for capacities to fly out their general cargo, as well as their electronic, pharmaceutical and hazardous goods.
“These new links provide our customers with additional options, strengthen their connectivity and ease trade relations,” as Gabriel Oliva said, Latam Cargo’s senior commercial vice-president for North America, Europe and Asia.
The first of the above-mentioned new routes underlines Panama’s growing role as an importer, with exports from the Central American country also expected to benefit from connections via Bogotá to Santiago de Chile, Lima and São Paulo.
Good signs from Peru and São Paulo
The Cali (Colombia) link is promising as a stopover to and from the Colombian capital. Besides these two new scheduled services, Latam Cargo also launched a third option between Miami and Lima at the end of 2019, also with two weekly round trips. This solution, in turn, has been designed to serve Peru’s import potential.
Oliva explains that so far, the service has been accepted well by the market, adding that “evaluating new destinations, fortifying our network and improving the service performance of our portfolio are normal ongoing operational processes at Latam Cargo.”
The carrier’s activities at Guarulhos airport, São Paulo’s largest aviation gateway, show this to be true.
In January the airline inaugurated a perishables hub there covering more than 1,600 m2. Half of it is dedicated to reefer and handling zones for goods requiring storage at 0 – 2°C as well as 2 – 12°C.
Latam Cargo invested USD 3.5 million in the centre, increasing its local warehousing capacity for perishables by 33% – a key strategic improvement, as fresh produce accounts for 45% of the airline’s consignments every year. The Latam group serves 33 South American destinations from there, as well as 14 more in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
“Our new centre helps us reduce by 20% the time that perishables are exposed to uncontrolled temperatures,” says Claudio Torres, the carrier’s international commercial director for South America. This makes the hub a central element for the commercialisation of Latam’s new ‘Fresh’ service, in which the airline bundles its expertise in this sensitive and lucrative field.
