What is ETOPS with regards to the Boeing 777 and Airbus 340 debates?
ETOPS or Extended Twin Operations is an acronym created by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) to describe the operation of twin-engine aircraft on a route that contains a point further than 60 minutes flying from an adequate airport at the approved one engine inoperative cruising speed. Some people like to refer to ETOPS humorously as Engine Turns Or Passengers Swim! In the beginning of commercial aviation, fare-paying passengers were flown on single-engine airplanes. Gradually two or more-engine airplanes were introduced as it provided higher safety in the event that an engine fails on them. Since 1936, FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) had created requirements for all types of aircraft to be within 100 miles of an adequate airport when carrying passengers. Why 100 miles? Because that was the average speed of older airplanes then. The 60-minutes rule was established on all airplanes with one engine inoperative regardless as to the number of engines the airplane have. The
