Quito Airport Sets Mother’s Day Flower Export Record

Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport set a new Mother’s Day flower export record in 2026, handling approximately 24,800 metric tons of flowers between April 16 and May 6.

The total represents a 16% increase from the 21,300 metric tons exported during the 2025 Mother’s Day season, according to Corporación Quiport, which manages and operates the airport. Mother’s Day is the second-largest flower export period for Quito after Valentine’s Day.

The peak export day was April 29, when shipments reached 1,641 metric tons, up 4.1% from the peak day of the 2025 season.

While Mother’s Day flower export volume remained 15% below the Valentine’s Day season, the gap narrowed from 2025, when Valentine’s Day exports exceeded Mother’s Day volumes by 25%. Quiport said the trend reflects continued growth in Quito’s cargo activity and the strength of Ecuador’s flower export market.

“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,” said Ramón Miró, president and CEO of Corporación Quiport.

The airport also moved from fifth to fourth place in the Latin America and Caribbean air cargo ranking, according to the latest Airports Council International for Latin America and the Caribbean report.

Quito now ranks behind El Dorado Airport in Bogotá, Colombia; Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo, Brazil; and Felipe Ángeles Airport in Mexico City, Mexico. It now ranks ahead of Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in Santiago, Chile, and other major airports in the region.