Come Jan 16, a VIP will be given special first-class treatment for his first trip abroad.
He will be "chauffeured" to the airport, where he will enter the plane via his own entrance, and will have the whole flight to himself, attended to by a crew of three on board.
The VIP or very important panda, as Singapore Airlines (SIA)
dubs him - is none other than Singapore-born giant panda cub Le Le, who will be taking his maiden flight from Singapore to Chengdu.
He will leave Changi Airport at 7.15pm on Jan 16 for Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.
Under the terms of Chinese panda loan agreements, cubs born on foreign soil are generally returned to China when they turn two.
Le Le made his final appearance at the Pavilion Capital Giant Panda Forest at River Wonders on Dec 13, 2023, and has been in quarantine in his "suite" - or den - since Dec 14.
"In preparation for his flight, he has undergone a thorough health check and (has been) assessed to be in the pink of health," said SIA on Jan 15.
Le Le will be transported from Mandai - where River Wonders is to Changi Airport in a customised crate on a temperature-controlled truck.
The crate, which measures 1.7m long, 1.1m wide and 1.3m high, took two weeks to build and will be Le Le's "seat" on his 41/2-hour flight on board a Boeing 747-400F freighter.
The crate also comes with a removable plywood board at each end to facilitate mealtimes and checks when needed.
This story is from the January 16, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the January 16, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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