American Airlines transports record shipment of seeds to US

American Airlines has transported one of the largest consignments of seeds from Argentina to the US.

The US-based carrier shipped around 115,349lbs (52,321kg) of soybean seeds on a Boeing 777-300 from Buenos Aires to Miami Airport.

According to the company, this is the largest freight volume ever carried by a cargo flight of the airline.

The move comes in a time when passenger operations between the two countries are currently suspended due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Usually, the shipping of soybean and corn seeds runs from March to May each year. American Airlines has been part of this initiative for more than a decade.

In the last few weeks, the carrier has shipped more than 290t of seeds.

American Airlines Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America Cargo Sales director Lorena Sandoval: “We are proud to be a part of this important cycle that supports local farming and provides vital food and fuel for the global economy. Transporting record-breaking volume in the process is just icing on the cake.

“With reduced flight schedules due to Covid-19, it’s more important than ever to maximise every inch of available cargo space. We’re here to support the world’s food supply, no matter what we face.”

Currently, American Airlines is operating a cargo-only schedule of 46 weekly flights.

It plans to increase the number of cargo-only routes in the following weeks.

In addition, the airline is also involved in transporting life-saving medical supplies and materials to the US.