The journey started in Atlanta, Georgia where four pandas boarded the Boeing 777 Freighter, known as the FedEx Panda Express for a flight to Chengdu, which returned to Washington DC with two pandas.
The flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport transported 27-year-old female Lun Lun and 27-year-old male Yang Yang, who have been living at Zoo Atlanta since 1999, and their female offspring Ya Lun and Xi Lun, who were born at the zoo in 2016.
They arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on 13 October and are at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
FedEx returned with two pandas, two-year-old male Bao Li and two-year-old female Qing Bao, who arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on 15 October and were taken to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI).
They are in quarantine and will make their public debut in January 2025.
Richard Smith, Chief Operating Officer International and CEO Airline of FedEx, says, “We have had the privilege of transporting pandas since 2000, but this was our first roundtrip move, delivering the bears to and from China within the same aircraft journey. The safe delivery of Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun to China and Bao Li and Qing Bao to the US demonstrates the company’s commitment to leveraging our extensive global network to connect communities.”
The pandas were the only cargo on the flights except for their supplies, along with animal care experts from Zoo Atlanta and NZCBI.
FedEx has transported 22 pandas to and from China since 2000, mainly between China and the USA, as well as flights from China to Scotland, France and Canada.
It donated the transportation cost as part of its ongoing corporate social responsibility and environmental conservation efforts.