The FedEx Panda Express is taking to the skies again, this time to transport two giant pandas from China to France.

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Update: January 15, 2012, 1pm GMT - We've landed in France!

The FedEx Panda Express has landed in France with Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, the newest residents of ZooParc de Beauval.

Update: We're ready for takeoff!

After months of preparations, the time is here! The crew of the “FedEx Panda Express” is at Chengdu Airport in China and we’re ready to fire up the engines of our Boeing 777F and take off for France.

Our VIP (Very Important Panda) cargo – Huan Huan and Yuan Zi – are safely on board and seem to be just as anxious as we are to see their new home at ZooParc de Beauval in France.

We should be on the ground in France in a few hours, and we’ll share more news and photos when we’re on the ground. Until then, this VIP plane is headed for take-off!

***Download this infographic***

Vince Buscarino, Senior Charter Loadmaster, FedEx Express

My responsibility as loadmaster is to coordinate all air and ground support services associated with a charter flight. This is anything from catering to cargo. My work means that I get to be part of some special deliveries, like the upcoming shipment of giant pandas to France.

This is my fourth giant panda shipment and each one has its own unique challenges. For all of them, I need to consider the positioning of the enclosures based on panda personality. I consult with the attendants to determine if they should see each other or not, which proves very important during the flight. For example, when Tai Shan and Mei Lan flew from the US to China in 2010, we arranged for them to see each other so that they wouldn’t be lonely.

I look forward to shipping Huan Huan and Yuan Zi from Chengdu to Paris on board the FedEx Panda Express and learning about their unique personalities

The Legend of the Panda by Gene Huang

A heartwarming tale describes the mutual love and affection humans and pandas hold for each other:

Legends has it that many years ago, a young shepherdess fiercely defended a panda cub which had fallen prey to a vicious snow leopard. As the young cub escaped the clenches of the death, the woman heroically sacrificed her life in its place. When news reached the other pandas of the young cub’s rescue, the pandas journeyed to pay their respects to young heroine’s remains. Upon arriving at the ashes of the young shepherdess, the pandas were moved by emotion; they consoled each other as they wept rubbing the tears from their eyes and holding their hands over their ears in sadness for the loss of life. The ashes of the young heroine permanently marked the pandas’ limbs, eyes and ears as a symbol of their endless gratitude for the young woman’s valor.

The shepherdess’ four remaining sisters grieved in unison with the pandas. It is widely believed that the four peaks of the Siguniang Mountains have been attributed to the heroine’s sisters. The mountain peaks are said to continue to protect the pandas from harm to this day.  

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FedEx Panda Express gets ready to take off again! by Gerald Leary

FedEx Panda Express is taking to the skies again, this time to transport two giant pandas from China to France.
 
Certainly, anytime our customers turn to us to deliver their shipments, we feel a sense of pride and responsibility to deliver best-in-class service—And of course, when it comes to delivering two giant pandas, the honor and privilege that comes with it is outstanding. We are humbled in knowing that we are the trusted carrier of choice for these rare and delightful creatures.

Our transportation of the giant panda bears to France comes just a few weeks after we successfully transported two giant pandas from China to Scotland. We are confident that the transportation of the giant pandas will deliver plenty of joy and enthusiasm to the people of France who are eager to view firsthand these adorable, furry creatures. This passionate display of public interest is a great marker of any success story and I anticipate it will only grow in the days to come!

The pandas, Huan Huan, a three year old female, and Yuan Zi, a three year old male, will arrive in Paris on January 15, 2012. It will be the first time in more than 10 years that giant pandas will reside in France.  We can surely imagine the excitement and interest the journey is beginning to generate.

Equally important-- the motivation driving this delivery is nothing short of noble: Huan Huan and Yuan Zi form part of world-wide conservation efforts to preserve the rare and wonderful species. Conservationists currently estimate that fewer than 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. We are honored that FedEx can continue to support such a valuable program.

Without a doubt, the safety and well being of the panda bears are our greatest priority: our dedicated team members have worked closely with and the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding to ensure the safe and comfortable journey for Huan Huan and Yuan Zi.

The pandas will be treated with first class service by FedEx Express; Huan Huan and Yuan Zi will transported via a special non-stop chartered flight aboard the FedEx Panda Express—a panda-bear branded B777F— from Chengdu Airport, China, to Paris, France.  Animal experts will accompany the bears from China to the Beauval ZooParc and we have carefully selected expert pilots and drivers experienced in delivering animals to ensure the very best in ground and air transportation. Surely no one deserves VIP treatment more than these pandas!

This journey has already evoked remarkable optimism and camaraderie across our company and key stakeholders around the world—in China, in the United States and in France. And we are equally delighted by the public’s warm response.  Surely, the take-off of the FedEx Panda Express flight to France will be one occasion you won’t want to miss--so stay tuned as my team members and I continue to provide updates on the panda’s transportation, arrival and much more.

Photos - FedEx Panda Express logos are added to the Boeing 777F:

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*** Click here to learn more about the recent transportation of Pandas from China to Scotland.