Today we are going to look inside of our work. We want to describe in detail the process of international flower transportation from an original airport to the airport of your destination.
Stage 1 - Flower’s delivery from Farm to Airport
So our journey begins at the flower farm, where skilled horticulturists carefully harvest blooms at the peak of their freshness. Workers use specialized tools to cut flowers, ensuring minimal damage to the stems and petals. After harvesting, the flowers go through a meticulous sorting process to separate them based on their type, size, and quality. This initial stage sets the foundation for a successful transportation process.
Maintaining the freshness of flowers is paramount during transportation. After sorting, the flowers undergo pre-cooling to slow down the aging process and preserve their quality. They are then expertly packaged to protect them from physical damage and temperature fluctuations during transportation. Packaging materials, such as corrugated boxes are specially designed to provide optimal support and ventilation.
Once packaged, the flowers are transported from the farm to the airport. The mode of transportation varies and can include refrigerated trucks, vans. Timing is critical at this stage to ensure that the flowers reach the airport swiftly, minimizing the time spent in transit and maintaining their freshness.
Stage 2 – Documentation, storage and loading onto aircraft
Airport flower storage
Upon reaching the airport, the flowers are transferred to temperature-controlled storage facilities. These facilities are equipped with refrigeration systems to maintain the ideal temperature and humidity levels. Proper storage is essential to prevent premature blooming or wilting before the flowers reach their final destination.
Custom clearance and documentation.
Flowers destined for international markets must pass through customs. This involves meticulous documentation to comply with import and export regulations. Phytosanitary certificates, which confirm that the flowers are free from pests and diseases, are crucial for international shipments. Proper documentation ensures smooth passage through customs not only in country of origin, but also on the final destination, preventing delays that could compromise the flowers' quality.
Loading onto aircraft and preparation for air transportation.
Palletizing flowers for air freight involves a specific set of procedures to ensure the safe and efficient transport of such a delicate cargo as flowers. To prevent movement and shifting during flight, the flower boxes are loaded on ULDs (Unit Load devices). On ULDs flowers are secured using straps or netting. The straps are tightened to provide stability without compressing or damaging the delicate flowers. Proper securing of the load is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the cargo throughout the journey.
Stage 3 – Transportation and unloading on the final destination
The flight itself is a critical phase of the journey. Cargo holds are pressurized and temperature-controlled to create an environment conducive to preserving the flowers. Airlines prioritize the timely arrival of cargo, recognizing the perishable nature of flowers and the importance of delivering them in peak condition.
Also we have to consider that not every airline has direct flight to the destination points, and sometimes there will be an intermediate airport. So ground handling teams maintain real-time communication with the flight crews of both the arriving and departing flights. This communication ensures that any specific instructions or concerns related to the flowers are promptly addressed and there is nothing leading to possible delays and flower quality problems.
Upon arrival at the destination airport, a similar set of procedures is followed in reverse. Ground handling crews unload the flower pallets, ensuring careful handling them to the temperature-controlled storage facilities. The documentation accompanying the flower shipment is once again reviewed at the destination, so ground agent can confirm the quantity of flowers received. After all customs and regulatory authorities can start conducting clearance procedures.
Once it is all done, flowers are free to be picked up from the Airport and distributed to final customer destination.
We hope this article was helpful and now you know more about Airport to Airport transportation. Don’t forget that you can always rely on team of professionals and order flower transportation on our main page cargo.flowers.