Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung

Following the promotion of Ying Ying and Le Le to parenthood with the birth of a pair of panda twins in mid-August, another pair of giant pandas currently named An An and Ke Ke, gifted by the central government, arrived in Hong Kong last Thursday from Sichuan comfortably and safely on our local flagship airline's flight, showcasing the world-class level of temperature-controlled logistics provided by our airlines and the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

World first on partner airport accreditations

HKIA is unparalleled globally in its capability to handle special air cargo, achieving multiple firsts.

Since 2017, HKIA has been recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as a Partner Airport of the IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV). It has received certifications for Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Transportation (IATA CEIV Pharma), Fresh Cargo Transportation (IATA CEIV Fresh), Live Animals Transportation (IATA CEIV Live Animals) and Lithium Batteries (IATA CEIV Lithium Batteries) and is the first airport in the world to attain the full suite of CEIV certifications from IATA for handling special air cargo.

The certification for Live Animals Transportation not only allows the transport of pandas but also covers pets such as cats and dogs, as well as horses, leopards, and llamas, among others. Local air logistics companies have made significant progress in this area over the past few years. In March 2020, two air cargo terminals located at HKIA, namely Cathay Pacific Services Limited and Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals - were the first to obtain the Live Animals Transportation certification and Cathay Pacific Cargo subsequently became the third airline in the world to receive this certification. In December 2022, HKIA became the first airport community globally to obtain this certification. Currently, all cargo terminal operators at HKIA meet the IATA CEIV standards for transporting special cargo, making it one of the few airports in the world to achieve this level of certification. This demonstrates Hong Kong's comprehensive strength in handling live animal transportation and further enhances our status as a hub for air cargo, especially in handling special cargo.

Cathay Cargo escorts the giant pandas to Hong Kong

An An and Ke Ke were transported directly from Sichuan to Ocean Park, arranged and sponsored by Cathay Cargo. You may have seen various media reports about the meticulous arrangements for the two VIPs’ arrival: a support team comprising 90 professionals across difference agencies worked closely with the airline to ensure the pandas’ health and safety; two experts from Sichuan and two caregivers from Ocean Park accompanied the pandas throughout the flight, etc. Specially designed crates were also used for their transportation to maintain a constant temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius inflight, with ample natural light and good ventilation. The crates were also equipped with Bluetooth devices, allowing the control centre to monitor the temperature and humidity inside the crates.

Apart from taking good care of the giant pandas’ transportation, their food, bamboo leaves, are also imported from the mainland. Bamboo leaves for Hong Kong's giant pandas are mainly grown in Conghua, Guangzhou and are freshly transported to Hong Kong every day where transportation starts before 10am. Previously, the bamboo leaves needed to first arrive in Tianhe District from Conghua before arriving in Hung Hom through the Guangzhou Kowloon Intercity Through Train, followed by delivery to Ocean Park. Thanks to the co-operation between customs on both sides and the increasingly improved transportation network within the Greater Bay Area, bamboo leaves now arrive at Ocean Park directly via point-to-point land transportation.

The pair of giant pandas is expected to meet the public by the end of this year, and I am very much looking forward to visiting them. Their successful arrival once again proves the exceptional standard of our world-class air logistics. I am sure the HKIA community will continue to strive for excellence and maintain Hong Kong’s good name as an international aviation hub.

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung wrote this article and posted it on his blog on October 5.