“We saw a gap in the marketplace for delivery of fresh flowers to the North Texas area.”

Milton De La Paz
VP of Airline Relations
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
.…on DFW Airport partnering with Qatar Cargo to deliver 12 tons of fresh-cut flowers to the airport each week.

Stop and smell the roses this Valentine’s Day—and you may just have a nearby airport and cargo service to thank.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport worked with Qatar Cargo to launch a special cargo operation last spring to make sure Texans got fresh-cut flowers “that are hours old instead of days.” The special cargo flight flies in around 12 tons of fresh-cut flowers from Bogota, Colombia, each week. Once they land, the airport’s cold chain facilities ensure they can be raced fresh across the state to florists, distribution centers, and supermarkets.

DFW Airport partners with Qatar Cargo on cargo operation bringing 12 tons of fresh-cut flowers from Colombia to Texas each week [Photo: DFW Airport]

Airport’s cold chain facilities keep buds fresh

Milton de la Paz

Before the special flight, that type of flower supply “was historically done by trucks that took far longer and resulted in products with significantly reduced shelf life,” Milton De La Paz said in a statement. “With our state-of-the-art cold chain facilities and strategic location, DFW is well-equipped to bring in-demand imports to the Metroplex and the state. Qatar Cargo seized the opportunity to supply the region with fresh flowers direct from Colombia.”

In Bogota, the flowers are loaded onto a Boeing 777-200F aircraft and flown directly to DFW Airport. The cargo ranges from roses and carnations to assorted bouquets. Direct delivery to DFW means around 2 to 3 extra days of additional shelf life for consumers in the region, the airport said.

In December 2023 alone, fresh-cut flower imports to the U.S. were valued at $149 billion, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, as analyzed by WorldCity. The Qatar Cargo partnership is just one way DFW Airport is focused on “growing its handling of temperature-sensitive products,” leveraging its industry-leading cold chain facility, the airport noted.

In other floral-related news, Dallas just ranked No. 6 for number of flower delivery services and No. 11 for average monthly Google searches for local flowers in a new report, showing North Texans’ growing demand for fresh-cut blooms.

The Qatar Cargo flight helps ensure a steady supply of roses, carnations and more to meet that regional interest – especially around special occasions like Valentine’s Day.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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