AMSTERDAM: December 27, 2018. The Holland Flower Alliance of Schiphol Airport, KLM Cargo and Royal FloraHolland have completed a two-month trial on flights between Nairobi and Amsterdam in order to reduce the wasted space between flower boxes and pallets.

The HFA says it has managed to increase the weight on pallets of flower shipments by 15 percent by implementing the ‘Ideal Flowerbox’, a standardised box and pallet to make flower shipments more efficient and sustainable.

The trial follows a decision by some airlines operating in global flower export markets to apply charges based on volumetric weight rather than actual weight.

“The shipment of flowers is an important activity at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, so we are very supportive of the Ideal Flowerbox project and we are excited about the initial trial results showing how the box can improve sustainability in the supply chain,” commented Roos Bakker, director Business Development, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Christo van der Meer, senior consultant Supply Chain Innovation at Royal FloraHolland who led the pilot project, says he's now preparing for the trial's second phase: “The results show that with the use of the Ideal Flowerbox we are able to optimise the aircraft’s load factor, which is beneficial for a sustainable and efficient operation.”

The HFA  says it will evaluate the results of the trial with a view to implementing the Ideal Flowerbox on more routes next year.