Singapore Airlines began the world's longest non-stop commercial flight on Monday -- an 18-hour trip between Singapore and New York.

The 16,600 km (10,310 mile) flight on an Airbus A340-500 aircraft over the Arctic shaves four hours off an existing service and marks the second non-stop flying record this year by Singapore's flag carrier.

In February, the government-controlled airline flew 16 hours between Singapore and Los Angeles, then the longest non-stop flight by a commercial airline.

As Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" played in the Changi departure lounge, the flight's 181 passengers enjoyed a lavish send-off -- including champagne and a buffet spread.

Passengers on the flight also received a Polaroid and a pewter photo frame.

Until Airbus began delivering A340-500s with longer wings and bigger fuel tanks, no commercial aircraft could fly as far as Singapore to New York, although Chicago-based Boeing has a competing model under development.

The plane is specially fitted with business class seats that can recline into beds measuring 26 inches (66 cm) wide and 78 inches (198.1 cm) long. Economy seats are also slightly roomier than usual at 20 inches (51 cm) wide.

To mark the milestone between Singapore and the "Big Apple", airport officials also gave away 20,000 red apples at Singapore's Changi Airport. The carrier, which accounts for nearly three percent of Singapore's USD$93 billion-a-year economy, is facing mounting competition from budget airlines and a surge in fuel prices, which have put pressure on profit margins.

An airline spokeswoman said business class seats on the flight sell for SGD$9,160 (USD$5,363), compared with SGD$2,050 for an Executive Economy class ticket -- the same as past ticket prices -- for a limited period. They are expected to be five to 10 percent higher when the promotion ends.

Singapore Air, whose market value of nearly USD$8 billion ranks second in the world behind Southwest Airlines, said the new service will increase its frequency to New York to 14 times weekly from 11.

(Reuters)