By Maria Kalamatas | July 16, 2025
Lima, July 16 — Airports in Peru and Mexico are under intense pressure as the seasonal surge in avocado exports overwhelms air cargo terminals and cold chain logistics across the region.
“At this rate, we’re juggling too much volume for the facilities to keep up,” said Javier Romero, logistics director at AgroPac, one of Peru’s largest fruit exporters. “It’s not just flight capacity that’s tight — cold storage and ground crews are also maxed out.”
Demand far exceeds expectations
This year’s harvest has seen a sharp increase in shipments bound for Europe and Asia. With maritime delays and rising insurance costs on sea freight, exporters have turned to air transport to preserve freshness and meet tight retail windows.
“We have customers in Germany who want avocados on the shelf within 72 hours of harvest,” Romero explained. “That’s only possible by air.”
Bottlenecks on the ground
At Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport, lines of refrigerated trucks now stretch outside the cargo perimeter, awaiting customs checks. In Guadalajara, similar scenes have slowed daily throughput, forcing forwarders to seek alternative departure points or split loads.
Buyers push for faster delivery
European wholesalers are driving much of the urgency. “We’ve had to switch entirely to air freight for our Peruvian produce,” said Anne Kessler, operations head at a French import company. “Even a two-day delay can result in major losses.”
Airlines adapt — but slowly
LATAM, Avianca, and Aeroméxico have added extra cargo flights to meet demand, but aircraft availability remains limited. Some carriers have converted passenger jets into temporary freighters, though ground operations remain a choke point.
Outlook for coming weeks
With the mango and grape seasons approaching, logistics providers warn that July’s congestion could be a prelude to even greater strain.
“If infrastructure isn’t reinforced quickly, we’re going to face a gridlock that hits not only exporters but also global supply chains,” Romero cautioned.
