It's almost time for panda cub Le Le's departure to China.

The Singapore-born bear will be receiving the VIP treatment aboard his four-and-a-half hour Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight on Jan. 16, 2024.

According to Mandai Wildlife Group, he will arrive in Chengdu at around 11:30pm local time, where he will travel to a quarantine facility in Huaying, Guang’an City, Sichuan Province.

Bye bye Le Le

A new video by SIA revealed more details on how exactly Le Le will be transported there.

Le Le will be flying in an air freighter, which is similar to a passenger aircraft but without any seats.

When Le Le reaches Changi Airport, the custom-made crate he will be housed in will be strapped onto a pallet, which will be towed onto the tarmac.

The nose door of the plane will then be able to open to receive the crate.

The crate is approximately 1.7m long, 1.1m wide and 1.3m high, and took around two weeks to build.

To simulate Le Le's River Wonders' habitat, the ambient cabin temperature will also be adjusted to a rather chilly 12 to 16°C.

Le Le won't be flying alone either — he will be accompanied by his keeper and a veterinarian from Mandai Wildlife Group.

They will sit on the upper deck, which has easy access to the main deck Le Le is on.

Le Le's travel essentials consist of bamboo, bamboo shoots, apples, pellets and water.

To provide Le Le with the most comfortable flight experience, Nithaar Zain, the captain of the flight, also shared that he has to prepare a flight plan to avoid any turbulence, and also do any climbing or descending as gently as possible.

More about Le Le

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Top photo from Mandai Wildlife Group and SIA / FB