'This shipment is pandas': Ping Ping and Fu Shuang fly to US on FedEx charter

A special charter stocked with fresh bamboo, water and favorite snacks made its way from Chengdu, China, to Atlanta — carrying not human passengers, but two giant pandas.

FedEx announced Tuesday that it had transported male giant panda Ping Ping, 6, and female Fu Shuang, 5, from Chengdu to Atlanta, Georgia. The two pandas will live at Zoo Atlanta.

Rather than a standard cargo aircraft, a dedicated flight was arranged solely for the pair. It departed Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and flew nonstop to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang traveled in custom-built crates sized to fit them, while Zoo Atlanta animal care specialists flew alongside to monitor their condition. Fresh bamboo, water and snacks were loaded for the journey.

Before the flight, the pandas underwent an acclimation process, spending time in their transport crates in advance to reduce stress from the unfamiliar environment.

After the aircraft landed in the United States, FedEx also handled ground transport from the airport to Zoo Atlanta. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are now in quarantine and are expected to go on public display later this year.

FedEx covered the cost of the transport. The company has supported giant panda shipments between China and zoos and conservation institutions abroad since 2000. Including Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, FedEx has now transported a total of 23 pandas to and from China.

Past destinations have included not only the United States but also Canada, France and Scotland. FedEx calls the initiative its "Panda Express" project.

Salil Chari, FedEx president for the Asia Pacific region, said the company had been transporting giant pandas around the world for more than 20 years. "We are honored to support this special journey," he said.

Meanwhile, FedEx this month launched a new service in South Korea allowing it to pick up export cargo directly from bonded factories. Under revised regulations, FedEx vehicles can now collect export shipments directly from qualifying bonded factories without routing them through a separate bonded transport vehicle.