Air Cargo's wildest ride: 2024's most unusual shipments
From pandas to koalas to beluga whales to human hair, 2024 has been a year of unique air cargo shipments.

Source: Canva Images, DHL
In 2024, the world of air cargo transport has embraced everything from the exotic to the extraordinary, and the high-tech to the high-stakes. Airlines, logistics companies, and their partners have united to move some of the most unique and valuable cargo imaginable, demonstrating the industry’s remarkable versatility and expertise. Whether transporting majestic wildlife, state-of-the-art technology, priceless artifacts, or even human hair, air cargo’s 2024 journey has truly been one for the books.
1. Lions
Qatar Airways Cargo transported six young lions (Muheeb, Saham, Shujaa, Saif, Dhubiya and Aziza) from the illegal wildlife trade to the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in Johannesburg in May 2024. AFKLM Martinair Cargo transported two lions (Vasylyna and Nikola) from Felida in the Netherlands to LionsRock in South Africa in April 2024.
2. Panda
In May 2024, parcel giant FedEx announced that it would support the transportation of pandas for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute using one of its B777 freighters branded as the FedEx Panda Express. Following the announcement, in October 2024, FedEx transported six giant pandas between the US and China on two separate flights. The first flight, from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, included 27-year-old female Lun Lun, 27-year-old male Yang Yang, who have resided at Zoo Atlanta since 1999, and their twin female offspring, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, born at Zoo Atlanta in 2016. The return flight carried two-year-old male Bao Li and two-year-old female Qing Bao. Bao Li is the grandcub of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, whom FedEx transported to China, along with their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, in November 2023. For more than two decades, FedEx has worked with the Chinese government and zoos around the world to safely transport giant pandas to and from China.
In September 2024, Cathay Cargo successfully transported two giant pandas to their new home in Hong Kong. The pandas were warmly welcomed at Hong Kong International Airport and underwent health checks by Ocean Park Hong Kong and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
3. Koala
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo transported three koalas to the Netherlands in April 2024.
4. Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys
Cathay Cargo transported two male Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys, Little Peanut and Yellow Bean, in August 2024 from Ocean Park Hong Kong to Chengdu Zoo.
5. Beluga whales
Source: Oceanogrà fic Valencia
In June 2024, Baku-headquartered cargo carrier Silkway West Airlines supported the movement of two beluga whales from the war-torn Ukrainian city of Kharkiv to Oceanogrà fic in Valencia, Spain. A 15-year-old male named Plombir and a 14-year-old female named Miranda, both rescued from NEMO Dolphinarium in Kharkiv, were transported to Moldova by land, from where Silkway West Airlines flew them safely to Spain.
6. Rhinoceros
In November 2024, Air Charter Service transported 39 white rhinoceroses, each valued at half a million dollars, from Namibia to the United States. The rhinos, intended for specific breeding programmes, were airlifted in a Boeing 747 cargo plane from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, with a fuel stop at AmÃlcar Cabral International Airport in Cape Verde.
7. Tiger
American Airlines Cargo facilitated the relocation of Lucy, a 16-year-old Bengal Tiger from an Eco Park in Mendoza, Argentina to the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minnesota, USA in November 2024.
8. Disabled chimpanzee
In August 2024, DHL transported Chocolat, a disabled chimpanzee, from Kenya to the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset, UK.
9. Human hair
AirAsia’s logistics venture Teleport transported 400 tonnes of human hair in the second quarter of 2024. Human hair is in huge demand for wigs and weaves. India is one of the major exporters of human hair in the world. According to Chinese customs data, China imported close to 1680 tonnes of false eyelashes, beards and wigs worth around $167million from North Korea.
10. EUTELSAT 36D Satellite
The Airbus-built EUTELSAT 36D geostationary telecommunications satellite was shipped from Toulouse, France to Sanford, Florida, USA, on board an Airbus BelugaST (A300-600ST) in March 2024.
11. Haniwa art
ANA Cargo transported the Haniwa, Japanese unique unglazed clay figures and sculptures from Seattle to Japan, to be exhibited at the "Special Exhibition, Haniwa: Tomb Sculptures of Japan", held at the Tokyo National Museum in October 2024.
12. Orchestra instruments
DHL transported 60 valuable instruments for the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Japan tour. The shipment, which included double basses, cellos, and a harp, traveled from the UK to the Hamamatsu Act City Concert Hall in Japan in September 2024.
2024 was a remarkable year for the air cargo industry, marked by the transportation of an incredible array of unique and precious shipments. These shipments not only highlighted the industry's versatility but also underscored its critical role in supporting conservation efforts, cultural exchanges, and global trade.