How Two Giant Pandas Flew From China to Atlanta

Two giant pandas just landed in Atlanta after nearly 8,000 miles on a Boeing 777 cargo plane.

by Zach Benitez

Sep 27, 2026

5 min read

Two giant pandas have just landed in Atlanta after spending the night crossing the Pacific aboard a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo plane. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday morning, and they'll now live at Zoo Atlanta on loan from the Chinese government.

Both pandas were born in 2020 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the city where their flight began. Ping Ping, the male, has a name that means "peace." Fu Shuang is female, and her name translates to "double blessings." She turns six on October 18, just a few weeks after arriving in her new home.

Written by

Zach Benitez

Zach Benitez is the editor in chief of Contrail. He has reviewed airlines in more than 50 countries and flies hundreds of thousands of miles a year to show readers what flying is really like. He's based in New York and studies at NYU.