Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport registered a rapid increase in flower volumes during the recent Mother’s Day peak.
The Ecuadorian airport reported a 16% year-on-year increase in flower volumes to 24,800 tonnes over the 21-day Mothers’ Day period.
The peak export day during the 2026 season was 29 April when shipments reached 1,641 tonnes, representing a 4.1% increase compared to the peak day of the 2025 season.
Airport operator Quiport said Mother’s Day is the second most important period for flower exports by air after the Valentine’s Day season, when flower volumes were this year around 15% higher than during Mother’s Day.
“However, this gap is narrower than in 2025, when Valentine’s Day exports exceeded Mother’s Day exports by 25%, indicating that the difference between both seasons is decreasing,” Quiport said.
Ramón Miró, president and chief executive of Corporación Quiport, said: “Since 2022, Quito Airport has been breaking its historical records year after year, positioning Quito as one of the most important air cargo hubs in Latin America and the Caribbean, boosting exports and contributing to the development and economic growth of the city and the country.”
The airport operator pointed out that Quito Airport climbed from fifth to fourth place in the Latin America and Caribbean air cargo volume ranking for 2025, according to statistics from Airports Council International for Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC).
Ahead of Quito in the list are: El Dorado Airport in Bogotá, Colombia; Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo, Brazil; and Felipe Ángeles Airport in Mexico City, Mexico.
Quiport is not the only air cargo business to have benefited from growing flower volumes for the Mother’s Day celebrations in North America.
Figures from data firm WorldACD show that in the week ending 26 April, air cargo volumes from Central and South America increased by 19% week on week due to extra flower volumes.
