dailynewsnblog
Two giant pandas are currently flying from China to the United States on board a FedEx Express Boeing 777F freighter, with the nonstop flight scheduled to last more than 15 hours. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed Chengdu in the early hours of Sunday morning and are due to arrive in Atlanta, where they will spend the next ten years at Zoo Atlanta.
The panda pair will arrive in Atlanta almost two years after Zoo Atlanta’s previous pandas were returned to China, also on board a FedEx 777F. The flight comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to Washington, and is the latest example of China’s long-running ‘Panda Diplomacy’ strategy.
15 Hours Nonstop From Chengdu To Atlanta
According to flight tracking data, the two pandas departed 
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) at 2:55 AM local time on Sunday on FedEx flight FX9756, operated by one of the airline’s Boeing 777F jets. FedEx celebrates its panda flights as the ‘FedEx Panda Express,’ with 777Fs on previous missions sporting custom panda decals on the fuselage.
The flight became the most-tracked flight on Flightradar24 and is scheduled to land at 
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) at around 6:30 AM local time, for a total flight time of around 15 hours and 30 minutes, and a distance of roughly 6,900 nautical miles (12,800 km). China has sent pandas to overseas zoos for decades as a tool of diplomacy, sending its first pair to the US back in 1972.
Ping Ping, a male, is six years old, while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six in October. Zoo Atlanta last had giant pandas in October 2024, when its 25-year loan agreement with China came to an end. On that occasion, FedEx flew 27-year-old pair Lun Lun and Yang Yang and their eight-year-old twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun from Atlanta to Chengdu, also on board a 777F. Zoo Atlanta CEO Raymond B. King said:
“We can’t wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and to welcome our Members, guests, city, and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas.”
The Logistics Of Flying Giant Pandas
Experienced keepers from Zoo Atlanta were sent to China to accompany the pandas for the flight. The aircraft has also been loaded with steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots to feed them. According to FedEx, planning each panda flight involves more than 80 team members around the world.
Both pandas spent a month in quarantine ahead of the move to become accustomed to their crates and to loud noises. The pandas are normally the only cargo onboard any Panda Express flight. They are kept in specially designed crates with removable side panels that let keepers and veterinarians observe and feed them during the flight.
The 777F’s range is a key factor in making Sunday’s nonstop flight happen. Boeing’s official data lists the 777F’s range at 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km), but this is with a full payload of over 100 tonnes. However, with only two pandas, their crates, and a small team of keepers onboard, the freighter can fly considerably farther.
FedEx’s History As The Panda Express
FedEx has been flying giant pandas since 2000, with its most recent panda missions taking place in October 2024. Following the journey of Zoo Atlanta’s four pandas to Chengdu, the same 777F returned to the US with two-year-old pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao, landing at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) ahead of their move to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
According to the carrier, this mission brought its total to 21 pandas transported since 2000. With the arrival of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang in Atlanta today, this will take it to 23 pandas flown. Its first panda flight took place in December 2000, when it flew Mei Xiang and Tian Tian from China to Washington Dulles on board a McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
On this occasion, the 17-hour journey included a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. Sunday’s flight is being operated by N868FD, an 11-year-old 777F delivered to FedEx in July 2015. The freighter first conducted a flight to Chengdu from the FedEx’s Memphis International Airport (MEM) hub on September 25.
