Back in 2001, an ultra-long-range crew-alertness steering committee (CASC) was assembled. It was co-ordinated by the Flight Safety Foundation, with participation from the regulatory authorities, and was sponsored by Airbus and Boeing.
Using projections of existing knowledge and recent research on crew fatigue and its management, CASC had reached a consensus. This was made into operating procedures by Singapore civil aviation authority CAAS for Singapore Airlines and by United Arab Emirates aviation authority GCAA for Emirates in preparation for ultra-long-range flights using Airbus A340-500s.
The fundamental part of the strategy was for the airlines to carry double crews, each taking alternating extended rest periods during the flight that included proper sleep in bunks. The longest of SIA's Singapore-US sectors are about 18h flying time.
Source: Flight International
