Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 flies 2-year-old bear to China

Earlier this week, VIPs arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) in southwest China’s Sichuan province. This acronym usually refers to someone very important, but in this case the passenger was actually a very important panda named Le Le, and the two-year-old animal was flown in on a Boeing 747 .

special journey

Le Le is a baby giant panda who spent the first two and a half years of her life in Singapore, where she was born and raised under the supervision of Mandai Wildlife Group. But sometimes in his life there comes a time when he moves from one place to another. And this week, Le Le moved to China, where pandas originate.

As mentioned earlier, the first stop on his journey was Chengdu. Singapore Airlines operates passenger flights from its hub at Changi Airport (SIN) to Tianfu International (TFU), but Le Le is not an ordinary passenger. With this in mind, I arranged my flight to Shuangliu International with Singapore Airlines Cargo.

Photo: Mandai Wildlife Group

According to Flightradar24 data, a Boeing 747-400F with registration number 9V-SFP departed Singapore at 19:17 local time, number SQ7188. The quadjet plane carrying the panda landed in Chengdu at 11:14 p.m. after flying for just under four hours.

Custom conditions

Given that pandas are not everyday passengers on airplanes, a number of considerations had to be taken into account to ensure Le Le’s comfort and safety on board the 18-year-old jumbo jet. This included closely monitoring the temperature and humidity levels within the cargo hold where Le Le’s custom-built crates were stored.

he,”Zookeepers and veterinarians from Mandai Wildlife Group and zookeepers from ChinaThese people kept Le Le fed and reported that he maintained his appetite for bamboo throughout the flight despite the unfamiliar conditions.

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This route will certainly raise some eyebrows.

Photo: Mandai Wildlife Group

The effort to create a safe and comfortable environment for Le Le actually began before his arrival. In fact, Mandai Wildlife Group points out that the 747 aircraft was precooled to 12-16°C (53.6-60.8°F) before flight. The surgery ultimately appears to have gone well, and beloved Le Le is now undergoing a period of isolation while arrangements for permanent residency are made.

Such cargo always attracts attention

Coincidentally, Singapore Airlines is not the only airline to recently transport pandas to China. In fact, China Southern Airlines got in on the act in December by flying a pair of giant pandas from Edinburgh to Chengdu on a Boeing 777. Meanwhile, when FedEx flew three giant pandas from Washington to Chengdu in November, it was the most tracked flight. In the world at that time.

What do you think about this amazing cargo transport? Have you seen any signs of animals during your travels? Tell us your thoughts and experiences in the comments!