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Heard over the radio, a pair of PRC who enjoy VVVIP status landed at Changi at 08.20am .... CNA : China pandas enroute to Singapore By Kristine Lim | Posted: 05 September 2012 1712 hrs CHENGDU, China: Giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia are enroute to Singapore from China. The pair are on a 10-year loan from the Chinese government, marking more than two decades of strong ties between the two countries. The plane carrying the two pandas took off for Singapore at 4am. It is expected to land at approximately 8.20am. At nearly 3am on Thursday, the pair were at the Chengdu Airport Tarmac waiting to board their flight. Inside the crates where they are housed individually for the journey, five-year old Kai Kai was fast asleep. His four-year-old companion Jia Jia was, however, wide awake and chewing on her comfort food - bamboo. After one month in quarantine, the furry pair are in good shape for their journey. On Wednesday, a farewell ceremony was held for them at the Chengdu Bifengxia Panda base. They were moved into crates and then sent to the Chengdu airport in a refrigerated truck. Since it was their first time away from home, extra care was taken to minimize stress on the creatures. The truck drove at a maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour, slowing down to just 20km per hour around bends. Ninety kilogrammes of bamboo have also been prepared for the journey. A panda eats an average of 20-kg of bamboo a day. Bamboos will also be placed in their crates, in case the pandas want supper during the flight. Wildlife Reserves Singapore has also brought along bamboo imported from Guangzhou, in case the pandas need time to adjust to the taste of bamboo grown in Singapore. The pandas will be transported in a 747 cargo plane. With the main deck as big as a basketball court, the crates will be placed in the middle, which is the most stable part of the plane to minimize turbulence. Heard they enjoy a upscale posh of S$1 million a year just by seating and doing nothing... maybe at times, piak piak if they have nothing else to do...