FedEx to Transport Giant Pandas from US to China
BEIJING Jan. 29 – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, is donating its logistical services to transport two giant pandas from the United States to China on February 4, 2010.
Working in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and Zoo Atlanta, FedEx Express will fly the pandas non-stop from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Chengdu, China.
Tai Shan, a 4-and-a-half-year-old male panda born at the National Zoo, and Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female panda born at Zoo Atlanta, will travel onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express 777 Freighter (777F) – known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”
“The FedEx global network, our unparalleled service to and from China and our long history transporting some of the world’s most precious cargo makes FedEx uniquely suited for this special delivery,” said David L. Cunningham Jr., president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express. “We are honored to serve as the trusted carrier for Tai Shan and Mei Lan’s journey to Chengdu and to play a role in supporting the preservation of this endangered species.”
Currently, conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tai Shan and Mei Lan are part of global, giant panda conservation programs.
FedEx Express will fly Mei Lan from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., where she will join Tai Shan in preparation for the trans-Atlantic flight. Onboard the 777F aircraft – which is solely dedicated to the pandas’ journey – Tai Shan and Mei Lan will travel in two custom-built transport containers provided by FedEx Express. The pandas will depart Washington, D.C. late morning on February 4 and arrive in Chengdu late afternoon on February 5, approximately14 ½ hours between take-off and landing.
The pandas’ flight will be shorter than ever before possible as a result of the fuel-efficient 777F aircraft, the world’s largest twin-engine cargo aircraft and the newest addition to the FedEx global fleet. In early January 2010, FedEx launched the 777F into international service with a direct connection from Shanghai to the US。
FedEx Express, the National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, and the China organizers in Chengdu have worked collaboratively to ensure all necessary precautions have been taken to provide a safe and comfortable flight for the pandas. Animal care experts from both zoos have been granted special flight privileges to accompany the pandas onboard the aircraft.
Upon arriving in Chengdu, Tai Shan will be received by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will take delivery of Mei Lan. Tai Shan will reside at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China and Mei Lan will reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
FedEx to Transport Two Giant Pandas from US to China onboard its new 777F aircraft. Photo provided by FedEx China
BEIJING Jan. 29 – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, is donating its logistical services to transport two giant pandas from the United States to China on February 4, 2010.
Working in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and Zoo Atlanta, FedEx Express will fly the pandas non-stop from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Chengdu, China.
Tai Shan, a 4-and-a-half-year-old male panda born at the National Zoo, and Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female panda born at Zoo Atlanta, will travel onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express 777 Freighter (777F) – known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”
“The FedEx global network, our unparalleled service to and from China and our long history transporting some of the world’s most precious cargo makes FedEx uniquely suited for this special delivery,” said David L. Cunningham Jr., president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express. “We are honored to serve as the trusted carrier for Tai Shan and Mei Lan’s journey to Chengdu and to play a role in supporting the preservation of this endangered species.”
Currently, conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tai Shan and Mei Lan are part of global, giant panda conservation programs.
FedEx Express will fly Mei Lan from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., where she will join Tai Shan in preparation for the trans-Atlantic flight. Onboard the 777F aircraft – which is solely dedicated to the pandas’ journey – Tai Shan and Mei Lan will travel in two custom-built transport containers provided by FedEx Express. The pandas will depart Washington, D.C. late morning on February 4 and arrive in Chengdu late afternoon on February 5, approximately14 ½ hours between take-off and landing.
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