FedEx just operated a special series charter flight between Chengdu, China, Washington DC, and Atlanta, transporting six giant pandas! 
 

Dropping Off 4 Pandas in China

The mammoth, 20,000-mile roundtrip journey departed Atlanta on Saturday, October 12th. FedEx transported four giant pandas, 27-year-olds female Lun Lun and Yang Yang, and their twin daughters, Ya Lun and Xi Lun. The two adult pandas have lived at Atlanta’s zoo, Zoo Atlanta, for over 25 years (since 1999). Their daughters have lived at Zoo Atlanta for their entire life since they were born in 2016. 

All four pandas were placed into special panda transport crates, built to allow keepers to feed the pandas bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruits, and freshwater during the flight. The pandas were then transported to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), where a special-livery FedEx Boeing 777-F awaited the family's journey to China. 

The ‘Panda Express,’ registered as N893FD, departed Atlanta at 10:01 p.m. local time, flying for seven and a half hours to Anchorage, Alaska (ANC). The aircraft refueled and continued its journey, arriving in Chengdu (CTU) 12 hours later at 7:10 p.m.

Bao Li and Qing Bao Fly to the US

However, garnering more excitement was the return flight to the US, carrying two new giant pandas who will reside at the National Zoo in Washington DC. 

Grandchildren of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who lived at the National Zoo for over 23 years until their lease ended last year, two-year-olds male Bao Li and female Qing Bao arrived to much fanfare in DC on Tuesday morning.

Like the other four pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao were moved into transport crates and loaded onto the ‘Panda Express.’ The return flight stopped in Anchorage at 10:07 p.m. again to refuel, a 10-hour flight from Chengdu, before continuing for the remaining six hours to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), landing just before 10 a.m. 

Even before landing in Washington, fans of the giant pandas were already obsessed. Bao Li has been described as having a bubbly personality, with the Captain of the FedEx flight telling CNN that “every time anyone would enter the cargo area, he would look. He wanted to see who’s coming, and will they give me treats?”

On the other hand, Qing Bao is the complete opposite of Bao Li. During her time in China, Qing Bao often would sleep or climb her tree, interacting little with other pandas. Qing Bao is also much smaller than Bao Li, almost the size of a large dog. 

Not the 1st Iteration of the ‘Panda Express’

FedEx is not unfamiliar with transporting Pandas. For over two decades, FedEx has partnered with zoos and the Chinese government to transport giant pandas to and from China. 

The company has transported over 22 pandas, including flying Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji from Washington to China in 2023. Outside of flying pandas between the US and China, the carrier has moved pandas to Canada, France, and Scotland. 

“Each giant panda move is special, and we’re always honored when selected as the trusted transportation provider,” said Richard W. Smith, chief operating officer, International, and chief executive officer, of FedEx.

“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 U.S. demonstrates the company’s commitment to leveraging our extensive global network to connect communities. FedEx is once again proud to deliver this precious cargo.”

The pandas will remain on loan at the National Zoo for ten years, with a fee of $1 million per year to support panda conservation efforts in China. According to the Smithsonian, which runs the National Zoo, Bao Li and Qing Bao will be on view starting on January 10, 2025, for zoo members and January 24th for the general public.