(Image source from: The Week)
The world's longest commercial flight took off from Singapore's Changi Airport on Thursday, with passengers on board settling in for a marathon 19 hours in the air to land at Newark Liberty Airport, which serves New York City.
A spokeswoman for Singapore Airlines said that Flight SQ22 departed at approximately 11.35 p.m. (1535 GMT) with 150 passengers and 17 crew on board.
Two pilots, a special "wellness" menu and over seven weeks' worth of film and television entertainment accompany the travelers on the 16,700-kilometre (10,400-mile) journey to the Big Apple.
The long-range Airbus A350-900ULR is configured to carry up to 161 passengers - 67 in business class and 94 in premium economy, with no regular economy seats available.
For the flight crew - which likewise includes two first officers and a 13-strong cabin contingent - the workload will be broken up, the airline said, with each pilot having a minimum eight hours' pause throughout the flight.
Dining options will comprise dishes the airline says have been selected to promote well-being in the skies, with organic offerings on the menu.
Passenger Peggy Ang, 52, said before the flight that she felt "apprehensive because I'm not sure what would I do in 18.5 hours" inside the plane.
"Now that you asked me, I'm a little bit worried. I'm thinking of sleeping, watching TV, doing my work," she told reporters after checking in at Changi Airport for the flight.
"I have a lot of notes to read, hopefully, I can sleep well," said Ang, a membership director of an IT services firm.
Airbus said the A350-900URL plane's cabin has higher-than-normal ceilings, larger windows, and lighting designed to reduce jet lag - all part of an effort to lessen the stresses that can accompany almost a day on a plane.
"Research has shown that hydration and food intake are important factors (to consider), such as avoiding foods that cause gas or bloating as well as excessive alcohol," Rhenu Bhuller, a healthcare expert at consultancy Frost & Sullivan, said.
"The biggest concern is Deep Vein Thrombosis from a combination of sitting for too long and also from dehydration," said Gail Cross, an associate consultant at the National University Hospital in Singapore.
The twin-engine plane uses a modified system that burns 25 percent less fuel than other aircraft of a similar size, Airbus said.
The flight from the city-state to Newark Airport can take as far as 18 hours and 45 minutes under usual weather conditions, but the pilots will have something in reserve in an aircraft capable of flying more than 20 hours non-stop.
Singapore Airlines primitively flew the route for nine years using the gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 before abandoning it in 2013 because high oil prices made the service unprofitable.
But the carrier is hoping that the first appearance of more fuel-efficient planes will set cash registers ringing even as crude prices rise above $80.
Thursday's flight will top the contemporary longest direct air link between cities - Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes.
Facing progressively beefed-up competition in recent years, Singapore Airlines has consolidated its low-fare subsidiaries and is strengthening its superior segment.
-Sowmya Sangam
