FedEx Panda Express: No, Not the Fast Food Chain
FedEx has had a decades-long history working with China to transport their pandas worldwide. As a part of their support for environmental conservation efforts, FedEx has a program called FedEx Panda, where the company has contributed to the transportation of more than 15 pandas worldwide over the last two decades.
Pandas are on the endangered species list with a population of around 1,800 in southwest China and are at risk of extinction. The Chinese government is dedicated to protecting the panda population through 3 conservation strategies: protecting the giant pandas’ habitat, captive breeding/introducing pandas to the wild, and implementing protection laws to stop panda hunting.
The pandas are transported on a Boeing 777-200F, also called a Boeing 777-Freighter. The livery features a playful image of a panda eating bamboo on a standard FedEx Express livery.
On May 29th, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) announced that they will be receiving two pandas from China to their facility in Washington D.C. in efforts to sustain a breeding and conservation alliance between the two countries. Qing Bao, a two-year-old female, will arrive from the Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan, and Bao Li, a two-year-old male, will arrive from the Shenshuping Base in Wolong. FedEx will be facilitating a 7,625-mile flight from China to Washington D.C.
Pacmin is honored to have collaborated with FedEx over the years to create multiple models featuring the beloved livery, including a 1/20 Scale 777-200F cutaway model using intricate detailing and modeling to demonstrate the lift process of bringing the pandas into the cargo area. The photos below showcase the cutaway model details.
Sources
- Giant Pandas to Return to Washington, D.C. via FedEx Panda Express. https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/global-english/giant-pandas-to-return-to-washington-d-c-via-fedex-panda-express
- FedEx Panda Express to transport two giant pandas from China to the US. https://www.stattimes.com/air-cargo/fedex-panda-express-to-transport-two-giant-pandas-from-china-to-the-us-1352242
- Giant Panda. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda
About Pacmin Studios
Pacmin Studios has been serving the aviation and transportation industries with creative physical and digital models and exhibits since 1946.
Known for producing high quality custom aircraft display models, Pacmin Studios has evolved to provide a suite of additional services, including graphic design, CAD, CGI rendering and animation, livery design, and other transportation marketing solutions.
