The Logistics of Flying Pandas
Why Do Pandas Need to Fly?
Every day, an estimated 122 million pounds of cargo takes to the skies. It’s everything from fresh flowers and fruits to race cars and pharmaceuticals. There are many large companies built around the process of shipping these things by air, and they have the process down to an exact science. In some ways, it’s easier than flying people. For one, the contents of the fuselage don’t complain about legroom. They don’t need to eat or use the bathroom, and they don’t have to deal with keeping all those folks safe in the event of an evacuation. Sometimes, however, the cargo can get a little more tricky.
To understand why people are flying pandas, you need a super quick crash course in panda diplomacy.
Panda diplomacy is China’s practice of gifting or loaning giant pandas to other countries as a symbol of goodwill and strong diplomatic relations. This strategy dates back to the Tang Dynasty but became especially significant under the People’s Republic of China. During the Cold War, China gifted pandas to key allies, such as the Soviet Union in 1957 and the United States in 1972, following President Nixon’s visit to the country. Currently, China loans pandas under 10- to 15-year agreements, often with a hefty fee, usually around $1 million per year. Panda diplomacy is also tied to trade relations. In 2011, China loaned pandas to Scotland, because of strong UK-China ties at the time, but as Brexit complicated relations, China chose not to renew the loan.
The Smithsonian’s Panda’s
In 2023, amid rising tensions with the US, China recalled its panda’s from the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. 25-year-old Mei Xiang, 26-year-old Tian Tian, and their three-year-old cub, Xiao Qi Ji had to be brought back to Chengdu, over 8,000 miles away, in a timely manner.
You can’t just throw pandas in a box and put them in any old cargo hold, however. That would be incredibly stressful for the animals, which can literally kill them. In 2024, at the Edinburgh Zoo, a baby red panda died after becoming agitated by fireworks.
A few weeks before the flight home, zookeepers got the pandas slowly used to spending time in their custom built crates in their zoo exhibits, where they felt comfortable. As they became accustomed to the space, they were kept in there for longer and longer stretches.
The Day of the Trip
A custom decal was applied to N886FD, a FedEx 777-200 that would have the honors of flying the pandas back to China. The pandas were loaded into their crates with 220 pounds of bamboo each (they eat a lot of food), which was then placed into the plane. A FedEx spokesperson told AirlineGeeks that – aside from staff, food, water, and other supplies – the pandas were the only cargo on the flight. A captain, relief captain, first officer, loadmaster, and animal care experts from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute were among the transport team.
The flight took off from Washington’s Dulles Airport and set course for Anchorage, where they made a quick fuel stop before flying the last leg to Chengdu. The pandas were met with a delegation of Chinese officials and placed into a 30 day quarantine before rejoining the other pandas in Wolong .All in all, it was a successful 19 hour travel day for the pandas.
“We are deeply honored to again serve as the transportation provider of giant pandas. The safe delivery of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and Xiao Qi Ji is a testament to the company’s commitment and ability to securely ship precious cargo,” said Richard Smith, president and chief executive officer, Airline and International, FedEx. “I remember fondly when we brought Mei Xiang and Tian Tian over decades ago, and we are proud to once again be entrusted with transporting these beloved animals through our global network.”
Sources & Further Reading
https://airlinegeeks.com/2023/11/10/flying-giant-pandas-over-8-000-miles
