FedEx Transports Two Giant Pandas from China to the US

FedEx transported two giant pandas from Chengdu, China to Atlanta, Georgia in September 2026 aboard a Boeing 777 freighter known as the FedEx Panda Express.

The airline partnered with Zoo Atlanta to move six-year-old male Ping Ping and five-year-old female Fu Shuang, donating the full transportation cost as part of its conservation efforts.

Custom handling on the transpacific route

Both bears departed Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and landed nonstop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang traveled in custom-built travel crates under the care of Zoo Atlanta animal specialists as the sole cargo aboard the aircraft.

Ground logistics teams in Atlanta managed the final truck transfer directly to the zoo’s veterinary facilities. FedEx provided the transport under its conservation charter program, which operates at zero cost to the receiving institution.

Specialized charters and express capacity

Specialized live-animal charters require dedicated aircraft allocation, temperature-controlled main deck space, and direct routings that bypass standard transshipment hubs. For global integrators with large transpacific networks, these single-mission flights show charter responsiveness. They also demonstrate cold-chain precision across long-haul Asian corridors.

Animal transports pull main deck capacity out of commercial rotation on high-demand export lanes out of western China. Chengdu remains a primary air cargo gateway for electronics and industrial exports. Slot management and widebody availability are central to carrier yields in the region.

Two decades of Chengdu animal transport

This operation follows a series of conservation flights handled by the 86 billion dollar logistics operator over the past 24 years. The company first carried giant pandas out of China in 2000. It has since run multiple dedicated missions between Chinese breeding centers and international zoological facilities.

We have had the privilege of transporting giant pandas for more than two decades, and every time the FedEx Panda Express is called into service, our entire team feels the significance of the mission.

Quarantine and public debut schedule

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are now in mandatory quarantine at Zoo Atlanta. Veterinary staff are monitoring their adjustment to the facility. Zoo management plans to clear the pair for public exhibition later this year once routine health checks conclude.