" Liege Airport ( LGG ) has the potential to become Europe ’s big melodic phrase cargo flower hub , " say Willum van den Hoogen , Managing Director at Florius International FZCO , a heyday supplier with farms in Ethiopia , Kenya , and Colombia . Being impacted by reducing air cargo electrical capacity at Schiphol Airport ( AMS ) , the company has been looking for efficient conveyance road that do n’t compromise on the character of flower . Van hideaway Hoogen gives brainwave into the current situation and explains why and how Liege may step up as an alternative to Schiphol .
Florius box being loaded onto an airplane
Capacity issuesAlthough a considerable amount of flower cargo still arrives in Europe through Schiphol Airport , the last 10 -15 old age the situation is changing , van den Hoogen states . He points out that the blossom industry currently struggles with cut number of freighter slot . Last year Joost van Doesburg , Head of Cargo Royal Schiphol Group , mentioned thatSchiphol wo n’t expand its bloom cargo cover capacityas the airport focuses on cargo quality rather than cargo quantity .
avant-garde lair Hoogen also mentions that the current situation in the Suez Canal and e - commerce put increase pressure on the availableness of cargo capacity . " Due to sea dealings disruption in the Suez Canal , sea shipment for product take fast supplying Chain is currently on hold , with exporter from East Asia more and more opting for ocean - air compounding . to boot , an increase in freighter in Hong Kong and Shanghai combined with the popularity of e - commercialism made some merchantman decide to take flight E - west rather than north - south . This impact the efflorescence manufacture because freighters who fly northward - south often take flowers on return flights from African and Latin - American country . On top of that , freight rates increased about 15 - 20 % in a few month . "
Liege Airport and its treatment infrastructureAccording to van den Hoogen , these and other gene made that we already see a large part of today ’s flower cargo arriving in other airports including Liege Airport . To illustrate , he adds that on certain days , Liege Airport receives 7 full merchant ship take with blossom lading . He finds that these loudness among others argue Liege Airport ’s flower hub potentiality , saying : " The melodic phrase load bloom volume are already there ; freighters can shore 24/7 , there are modest landing place fees , fewer randomness and environmental restrictions , and there is availability of land and toil . "
Nevertheless , he believes that the aerodrome ’s manipulation infrastructure is not yet tailored to perishable products such as heyday . " Currently , the aerodrome ’s objective lens is to quickly mail the flower cargo to Aalsmeer / Amsterdam . This focus on focal ratio comes at the disbursement of flower quality . I have go through that flowers were placed in uncooled storage warehouse where temperatures reached above 20 degree . The ideal temperature for lay in flush is about 1 degree Celsius . The airport residential area should well place in cooling infrastructure , if it does so I think there are many opportunities forrader . "
Towards cooled and dry - packed flowers?Van den Hoogen believes that not only Liege Airport ’s community of interests willingness to invest , but also the manufacture ’s glide slope to the supply chain run a role . " For long , the industry too has focused on measure rather than quality . However , inhuman - stored flowers are high-pitched - quality efflorescence . Importers and exports should n’t accept flowers that have been stored and transported in temperature above 5 degrees Anders Celsius . "
likewise , he argue that an improved sang-froid - range can eventually benefit the total logistical summons . He provides the representative of the US heyday trade : " Unlike the Netherlands , most flowers in the US are juiceless - packed and frigid . Dry - pack flowers demand less manipulation and thus bring to a more effective appendage . "
Florius shipment boxes
He concludes by say : " Schiphol Airport offers an excellent moth-eaten mountain range , however has an increasingly limit flower cargo mental ability . This means that the industriousness would benefit from an choice . I would like to emphasize that Liege Airport could be this alternative and that everyone can benefit from it . "
For more information : Florius[email protected]www.floriusflowers.com
