This Valentine’s saw a showering, or rather, ‘flowering’ of love, through KIA

Bengaluru: This year’s Valentine’s season has driven peak demand for fresh roses worldwide, with the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the city having shipped around 60 million rose stems, weighing more than 2,700 tonnes across 26 international and 47 domestic destinations, an official release says.

This marks a 38 percent year-on-year increase in stem volumes and a 64 percent rise in tonnage, reinforcing the airport’s position as India’s leading gateway for perishable exports for five consecutive years.

International shipments remained steady at 305 tonnes with Singapore emerging as the top overseas destination, followed by Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi, New York and Kuwait.

New international destinations added this season include Los Angeles, London Gatwick, Dallas Fort Worth, Toronto and Orlando.

On the domestic front, 2,402 tonnes of roses were transported, recording a 79 percent year-on-year increase in tonnage.

Delhi and Kolkata continued to anchor demand, while Guwahati, Mumbai and Jaipur maintained strong throughput.

Notably, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Lucknow recorded over 150 percent growth compared to the last season.

This momentum is further being supported by expanded cargo infrastructure of KIA, ensuring freshness, speed and temperature precision.