Objective: With the ongoing need to improve therapy for NSCLC, there has been an increasing interest in the development of reliable preclinical models to test novel therapeutics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of establishment of patient-derived NSCLC xenografts in the context of a long-distance research network. Method: Fresh surgically resected NSCLC specimens were addressed from the human biobank hospital (Nice) to the animal facilities (Sanofi, Vitry-sur-Seine). Shipment was performed in AQIX medium at room temperature. Within 24 h post surgery, tumour fragments (~63 mm3) were subcutaneously implanted in female SCID mice. The growing tumours were passaged in new mice (≤10 passages). The xenografts were histologically checked to eliminate human or murine lymphoma. Results: Overall, 98 NSCLC samples were implanted leading to 32 (33 %) NSCLC xenografts. The rate of tumour growth was higher in non-adenocarcinoma specimens (23/45; 51 %): 20/38 (53 %) for squamous cell carcinoma, 2/4 (50 %) for large cell carcinoma, and 1/3 (33 %) for pleomorphic carcinoma, when compared to adenocarcinoma samples (8/51; 16 %). Conclusion: We report a high successful rate of xenotransplantation established from patient-derived NSCLC tissues. Our biobanking model system, regardless to extended time and distance, provides a stable and reliable animal model in human lung cancer research.