Flowers & plants by Air Freight to Germany

Why flowers & plants by airfreight?

Cut flowers and plants have a shelf life of only a few days. Airfreight is not an option — it is the only option. Roses picked in Kenya on Monday must be in the auction in Aalsmeer by Wednesday. This is only possible via airfreight with a controlled cold chain.

The Netherlands is the world’s largest trading nation in cut flowers and Schiphol is the epicenter. Aircargo.nl has many years of experience with the specific requirements of flower transport: speed, cooling, phytosanitary documentation, and direct delivery to the auction.

Typical flower transport routes

• Kenya (roses, lilies) → Schiphol: multiple times per day
• Ecuador & Colombia (roses, chrysanthemums) → Schiphol via Miami or direct
• Ethiopia → Schiphol: growing cut flower sector
• Export Dutch flowers → US, Japan, Russia, China

Exporting to Germany

Germany is the Netherlands' largest trading partner, and as an EU member state, air freight to Germany is a smooth, minimal-documentation process. There are no export formalities due to the free movement of goods within the EU. However, many shippers choose air freight to Germany for urgent or high-value shipments that can’t wait for truck transport.

When to use air freight to Germany?

• AOG (Aircraft on Ground) — parts that must be available immediately at another airport
• Time-critical production components for the automotive or manufacturing industries
• Valuable goods where road transport risks are too high
• Goods already arriving by plane from a third country and destined for Germany

Aircargo.nl offers daily connections to Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), and Düsseldorf (DUS). Due to the short distance, same-day or next-morning delivery is possible in many cases.

Points of attention for flower transport

Cold chain

Flowers must be kept between 2–8°C throughout the entire transport. Any temperature interruption accelerates the aging process and reduces shelf life for the end customer. Aircargo.nl works exclusively with certified cool-chain handlers at Schiphol.

Phytosanitary requirements

A phytosanitary certificate is mandatory for importing plants and cut flowers from countries outside the EU. This certificate is issued by the plant health authority of the exporting country and confirms that the shipment is free from pests. Aircargo.nl routinely checks and processes all phytosanitary documents.

CITES

Certain orchids and exotic plants fall under CITES protection and require a CITES permit. Always contact us if you are unsure about the CITES status of your products.