Love Is in the Air, and Flying at 36,000 Feet: How GE Aerospace Engines Make Valentine’s Day Smell Sweeter

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? That’s a question between you and your valentine. What’s certain is that the delicate blooms are exchanged in peak numbers every February, with more than 250 million roses grown specifically for Valentine’s Day each year. But many people don’t realize what kind of transcontinental aviation effort it takes to get them there — or that GE Aerospace engines are integral to meeting the demand.

The vast majority of cut roses sold in the United States are grown in Colombia and Ecuador, where sunny days, cool nights, and rich volcanic soil lead to some of the most beautiful buds on the planet. Once the fragile flowers are picked for export, preserving them becomes a top priority. Cut roses need a humid environment and cool temperatures (35 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit) to optimize freshness, and time is of the essence as they’re loaded onto cargo planes and delivered to the United States. Some 90% of all cut flower imports come into the country via cargo planes at Miami International Airport. One aircraft maintenance delay or missed connection and the blossoms could start losing their luster, threatening revenues in the floral industry and setting the stage for a Valentine’s Day that’s less William Shakespeare and more Tim Burton. 

Luckily, there’s a good chance your flowers came to town on an aircraft with reliable GE Aerospace engines. The company’s family of CF6 turbofans collectively power nearly 70% of the world’s widebody airplanes dedicated to hauling cargo — not just roses but heart-shaped candy boxes and an array of vital consumer goods, food, medical supplies, and more. 

Since first entering service more than 50 years ago, the CF6 engine’s technology has advanced,  earning a reputation for dependability and durability — which translates to an ever-ready fleet, on-time arrivals, and lower maintenance costs. As global e-commerce increases and older passenger aircraft are being converted into cargo carriers to meet those needs, the demand for the enduring CF6 has only grown. 

“The CF6 engine is the secret sauce behind the explosive growth in air cargo, moving millions of dollars’ worth of commerce every day,” says GE Aerospace CF6 Program Leader Nate Hoening. “Whether it’s roses on Valentine’s Day or the newest iPhone, the CF6 has powered the transformation of global logistics.” 

Another workhorse for aviation cargo carriers is the GE90 engine, which was chosen as the exclusive powerplant for the Boeing 777 Freighter, the most popular production widebody freighter in the world. Celebrating 30 years of service this year, the GE90 is known for its stellar departure reliability rate of 99.98%, as well as providing lower emissions, lower noise, and reduced fuel consumption compared with its quad-engine predecessors. And with the capability to produce up to 115,000 pounds of thrust, it’s especially appropriate for heavy payloads. (Cut flowers can get hefty at this scale: Some 410,000 tons of them were imported to the U.S. by air in 2022.)

With U.S. rose imports totaling $800 million each year, powering them to your neighborhood flower shop with GE Aerospace engines is an economic priority as much as a romantic one. So, on February 14, find a little room in your heart for this most symbolic of flowers — and remember that love is a journey, in more ways than one.