The first round-the-world solar-powered flight took off from China earlier today.

Taking off from the eastern city of Nanjing, the Solar Impulse 2 is to cross the Pacific Ocean bound for Hawaii.

It's estimated that the flight could take some 5 days, which will be the longest leg of its global tour.

Before departure, pilot Andre Borschberg expressed his confidence.

"I wouldn't leave if I have doubts. So I'm very confident. I know if the situation will be different, compared with the one that we know today. But I think we have tools to adapt and we have the team to identify where to go. So I feel really confident to make it to Hawaii."

Pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard have taken turns at the controls of the plane for the journey which aims to fly some 35,000 km in about 25 flight days.

The plane is scheduled to fly across the United States and southern Europe and to arrive back in Abu Dhabi in late July.

The plane landed in Nanjing on April 21.

Its departure from the city had been delayed several times due to unfavorable weather conditions.

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