Editing ETOPS

{{Short description|Rules for aircraft with a failed engine}}
[[File:ETOPS rating flight path.svg|thumb|upright=2|The difference between an ETOPS-enabled shorter flight path (the solid green line) and a flight path for non-ETOPS aeroplane (the dashed blue line), the last one is curved due to the required distance to alternates]]

The '''Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS)''' ({{IPAc-en|iː|ˈ|t|ɒ|p|s}}) are safety standards set by the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO) for [[Twinjet|twin-engine]] commercial passenger aircraft operations. They are a safety measure intended to ensure that in the event of a single engine failure, an aircraft will still be able to reach a [[diversion airport]] using the remaining operational engine. This may be at a reduced speed and/or height, and usually applies to flights over water or remote lands, typically routes previously restricted to three- and four-engine aircraft.<ref name=AirbusETOPS>{{cite book |url= http://www.737ng.co.uk/AIRBUS%20ETOPS%20Guide.pdf |title=Getting to Grips with ETOPS|date=October 1998|publisher=[[Airbus]]|edition=Issue V}}</ref>{{rp|page9}}

== History ==
[[File:Lufthansa Boeing 747-8I D-ABYT - 31884065307.jpg|thumb|Airliners with more than two engines were preferred on long-haul operations due to restrictions limiting two-engined aircraft to fly through remote areas.]]
In 1936, the predecessor to the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA), the U.S. [[Bureau of Air Commerce]], restricted commercial operations within United States airspace to within {{cvt|100|miles|abbr=on}} of an adequate airport. For many aircraft of that era this meant about 60 minutes with one engine inoperative.<ref name=AirbusETOPS/>{{rp|p=p.10}}

In 1953, with [[Aircraft engine#Reciprocating (piston) engines|piston engine]] reliability and aircraft performance improved, U.S. authorities introduced a "60-minute rule", restricting twin-engine aircraft to a 60-minute diversion area (at single-engine cruise speed). There was some additional flexibility beyond this limit with special approval. Meanwhile, the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]] (ICAO) recommended a 90-minute diversion time for all aircraft, which was adopted by many regulatory authorities and airlines outside the US.<ref name=AirbusETOPS/>{{rp|p=p.10}}

During the 1950s, [[Pan Am]] twin-engine [[Convair 240]]s flew across the Caribbean from [[Barranquilla, Colombia]] to [[Kingston, Jamaica]], [[Avensa]] [[Convair 340]]s flew from [[Maracaibo, Venezuela]] to [[Montego Bay, Jamaica]], [[KLM]] [[Douglas DC-3]]s flew [[Curacao]] to [[Santo Domingo|Ciudad Trujillo]] while KLM Convairs flew [[Aruba]] to Kingston with [[Delta Air Lines]] operating [[Convair 340]] flights nonstop between [[New Orleans]] and [[Havana]] as well as nonstop between Havana and Montego Bay and also on a routing of Havana – [[Port au Prince]] – Ciudad Trujillo – [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]].{{explain|date=June 2024|reason= what is the point of these examples? were they are simple over-water flights, commonplace all around the world, or were the distances exceptional?}}<ref>[https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/dl58/dl58-09.jpg Time Table Images]</ref> In 1948–52 [[New Zealand National Airways Corporation]] scheduled a DC-3 to fly from Apia (Western Samoa) to Aitutaki, a {{frac|5|1|2}}-hour flight covering 685 airportless nautical miles between Tafuna (Pago Pago) and Aitutaki. In 1963 [[Samoa Airways|Polynesian Airlines]] started flying a [[Percival Prince]] Apia to Aitutaki; in 1964 the flight was a DC-3 from Faleolo (Upolu) to Aitutaki, a distance of {{Convert|768|nmi|km mi}}. More recently, the January 1979 OAG showed a weekly Polynesian Airlines [[Hawker Siddeley HS 748|HS748]] from Niue to Rarotonga, {{convert|585|nmi|km mi|abbr=on}} with no airport.

In 2017 ICAO issued [[Standards and Recommended Practices]] (SARPS) for ETOPS, and ETOPS were extended to four-engine aircraft like the [[Boeing 747-8]] and the terminology updated to EDTO (Extended Diversion Time Operations).<ref name=Doc10085_EDTO>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icao.int/MID/Documents/2020/EDTO%20Workshop/10085_cons_en.pdf|title =ICAO DOC 10085 }}</ref>

=== Early jet airliners ===
While the earliest jet engines were sometimes unreliable, widespread use of later engines such as the [[Pratt & Whitney JT8D]] (e.g. [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]] and [[Boeing 737]]) led to major advances in reliability and safety. As jet engines started to deliver more power than piston engines while increasing reliability, aircraft whose size previously required four piston engines could now be built using only two jet engines.<ref name=AirbusETOPS/>{{rp|p=p.11}}

By the late 1960s, most large civil airliners were jet-powered, relegating the piston engine to roles such as cargo flights. With the JT8D reliably powering the three-engine [[Boeing 727]], the 60-minute rule was waived in 1964 for three-engine aircraft, which in turn opened the way for the development of [[wide-body aircraft|wide-body]], intercontinental [[trijet]]s such as the [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]] and [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]]. By then, only twin-engine jets were restricted by the 60-minute rule. Trijets and quadjets dominated international long-haul flights until the late 1980s.

=== Early ETOPS ===
[[File:Airbus A300B2-103 - Airbus Industrie.jpg|thumb|The [[Airbus A300B4]] became the first ETOPS-compliant aircraft, in 1977<ref>{{cite web |title=Technology leaders (1977–1979) |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210425203402/www.airbus.com/company/history/aircraft-history/1977-1979.html |work= Aircraft History |publisher=Airbus}}</ref>]]
[[Airbus A300]] twinjets, the first twin-engine wide-body aircraft, had been flying across the North Atlantic, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean under a 90-minute ICAO rule since 1976.<ref name=AirbusETOPS/>{{rp|p=p.14}}

When the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] director [[J. Lynn Helms]] in 1980 was approached about the possibility of an exemption, his response was "It'll be a cold day in hell before I let twins fly long haul, overwater routes."<ref name="TTT767">{{cite web|title=The Boeing 767 and the Birth of ETOPS|url=http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2015/12/the-boeing-767-and-birth-of-etops.html|website=Tails though Time|access-date=17 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811070418/http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2015/12/the-boeing-767-and-birth-of-etops.html|archive-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name=JALC2013>{{cite journal|last1=DeSantis|first1=J. Angelo|title=Engines Turn or Passengers Swim: A Case Study of How ETOPS Improved Safety and Economics in Aviation|journal=[[Journal of Air Law & Commerce]]|volume=77 |issue=2013 |page=20 |url=http://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1305&context=jalc |year=2013}}</ref> The [[Boeing 767-200ER]] entered service in 1984.

In 1985, the FAA increased the ETOPS to 120 minutes at the single-engine cruise speed.<ref name=AirbusETOPS/>{{rp|p=p.12}} [[Trans World Airlines]] operated the first 120-minute ETOPS (ETOPS-120) service on February 1, 1985, with a [[Boeing 767]]-200 from Boston to Paris. The 767 burned {{cvt|7,000|lb|t}} less fuel per hour than a [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]] on the same route, prompting TWA to spend $2.6 million on each 767 they owned to retrofit them to ETOPS-120 specs.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gcmap.com/featured/20200201 |title= Featured Map: First ETOPS-120 Revenue Flight |date= 1 February 2020 |author= Karl L. Swartz |website= The Great Circle Mapper }}</ref>
It was followed by [[Singapore Airlines]] in June with an [[Airbus A310]].
In April 1986, [[Pan Am]] inaugurated transatlantic revenue service using A310s, and within five years Airbus ETOPS operators numbered more than 20.<ref name=AirbusETOPS/>{{rp|p=p.14}}

=== ETOPS 180 ===
[[File:Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER with CF6-80 engines.jpg|thumb|Twin-engine [[Boeing 767-300ER]] over Alaska beginning an ETOPS 180 trans-Pacific crossing]]
In 1988, the FAA amended the ETOPS regulation to allow the extension to a 180-minute diversion period, subject to stringent technical and operational qualifications. ETOPS-180 and ETOPS-207 cover about 95% of the Earth.<ref>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=V_NRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA203 |title= Initial Airworthiness: Determining the Acceptability of New Airborne Systems |author= Guy Gratton |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]]|date= 17 March 2018 |isbn= 9783319756172 }}</ref> The first such flight was conducted in 1989. This set of regulations was subsequently adopted by the JAA, ICAO, and other regulatory bodies.

=== ETOPS 180 at introduction ===
[[File:Boeing 777 in then-Boeing livery K58552.jpg|thumb|The [[Boeing 777]] was the first ETOPS 180 airliner at its introduction]]

The original 1985 regulations allowed an airliner to have ETOPS-120 rating on entry into service. ETOPS-180 was only possible after one year of trouble-free 120-minute ETOPS experience. In 1990 Boeing convinced the FAA that it could deliver an airliner with ETOPS-180 on its entry into service. This process was called Early ETOPS. The Boeing 777 was the first aircraft to be introduced with an ETOPS rating of 180 minutes.

In the 1990s, the [[Joint Aviation Authorities]] (JAA) demurred, and the [[Boeing 777]] was rated ETOPS-120 on its entry into service in Europe. European airlines operating the 777 had to demonstrate one year of trouble-free 120-minute ETOPS experience before obtaining 180-minute ETOPS for the 777.

=== Beyond ETOPS-180 ===
Effective February 15, 2007, the FAA ruled that US-registered twin-engine airplane operators can fly more than 180-minute ETOPS to the design limit of the aircraft. In November 2009, the [[Airbus A330]] became the first aircraft to receive ETOPS-240 approval, which has since been offered by Airbus as an option.<ref>{{Cite press release |url= http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/a330-is-first-airliner-to-be-certified-for-etops-beyond-180-minutes/ |title= A330 is first airliner to be certified for ETOPS 'beyond 180 minutes' |publisher= [[Airbus]] |date=12 November 2009 |access-date= 2 July 2011}}</ref>

ETOPS-240 and beyond are now permitted<ref>{{cite web |title= Extended Operations (ETOPS and Polar Operations) |date= July 13, 2008 |publisher= [[Federal Aviation Administration]] |url= http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/2e0f31985abd83ef8625746b0057fd06/$FILE/AC%20120-42B.pdf |access-date= October 5, 2008 |archive-date= February 9, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170209162626/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/2e0f31985abd83ef8625746b0057fd06/$FILE/AC |url-status= dead }}</ref> on a case-by-case basis, with regulatory bodies in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand adopting said regulatory extension. Authority is only granted to operators of two-engine airplanes between specific city pairs. The certificate holder must have been operating at 180-minute or greater ETOPS authority for at least 24 consecutive months, of which at least 12 consecutive months must be at 240-minute ETOPS authority with the airplane-engine combination in the application.

[[File:Vietnam Airlines, Boeing 787-9, VN-A861.jpg|thumb|Certified with ETOPS-330, the [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner]] has become a popular utility on transocean routes.]]
On December 12, 2011, Boeing received type-design approval from the FAA for up to 330-minute extended operations for its [[Boeing 777]] series, all equipped with [[General Electric|GE]] engines, and with [[Rolls-Royce Holdings|Rolls-Royce]] and [[Pratt & Whitney]] engines expected to follow.<ref>{{cite press release |title= Boeing to Offer up to 330-Minute ETOPS on 777 |date= Dec 12, 2011 |publisher= [[Boeing]] |url= http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2011-12-12-Boeing-to-Offer-up-to-330-Minute-ETOPS-on-777}}</ref> The first ETOPS-330 flight took place on December 1, 2015, with [[Air New Zealand]] connecting [[Auckland Airport|Auckland]] to [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport|Buenos Aires]] on a 777-200ER.<ref>{{cite press release |title= Boeing, Air New Zealand Celebrate First Flight Approved for 330-Minute ETOPS |date= December 1, 2015 |publisher= [[Boeing]] |url= http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=20295&item=129580}}</ref> On May 28, 2014, the [[Boeing 787]] received its ETOPS-330 certificate from the FAA, enabling [[LAN Airlines]] (now known as LATAM Airlines) to switch to the 787 from the A340 on their Santiago–Auckland–Sydney service a year later.<ref>{{Cite press release |url= http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2014-05-28-Boeing-Receives-330-Minute-ETOPS-Certification-for-787s |title= Boeing Receives 330-Minute ETOPS Certification for 787s |publisher= [[Boeing]] |date=28 May 2014}}</ref>

Until the rule change in North America and Oceania, several commercial airline routes were still economically off-limits to twinjets because of ETOPS regulations, unless the route was specifically conducted as indivertible. There were routes traversing the Southern hemisphere, e.g., South Pacific (e.g., [[Sydney Airport|Sydney]]–[[Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport|Santiago]], one of the longest over-the-sea distances flown by a commercial airline), South Atlantic (e.g., [[FAOR|Johannesburg]]–[[SBGR|São Paulo]]), Southern Indian Ocean (e.g., [[Perth Airport|Perth]]–[[OR Tambo International Airport|Johannesburg]]), and [[Antarctica]].

[[File:Airbus A350 (28227541585).jpg|thumb|The [[Airbus A350]] is approved with ETOPS-370, which means that it can make a theoretically-safe 6-hour diversion with a single engine operable.]]
Before the introduction of the Airbus [[Airbus A350 XWB|A350 XWB]] in 2014, regulations in North America and Europe permitted up to 180-minute ETOPS at entry. The A350 XWB was first to receive an ETOPS-370 prior to entry into service by European authorities.<ref name=Airbus15Oct2014>{{cite press release |url= http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/easa-certifies-a350-xwb-for-up-to-370-minute-etops/ |title=EASA certifies A350 XWB for up to 370 minute ETOPS |publisher= [[Airbus]] |date= 15 Oct 2014}}</ref>  The A350 XWB's current ETOPS certification covers 99.7% of the Earth's entire surface, allowing [[point-to-point transit|point-to-point travel]] anywhere in the world except directly over the [[South Pole]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Meanwhile, the first time that ETOPS-330 approval was given to a four-engine aircraft was in February 2015, to the [[Boeing 747-8|Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental]].<ref>{{cite press release |title= Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Receives FAA Approval for 330-Minute ETOPS |date= March 18, 2015 |publisher= [[Boeing]] |url= http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2015-03-18-Boeing-747-8-Intercontinental-Receives-FAA-Approval-for-330-Minute-ETOPS}}</ref> It is the only ETOPS-compliant aircraft allowed to [[Polar route|run non-stop overflights over Antarctica with proper alternates]], alongside the [[Airbus A340]] and A380.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

==Usage==

The [[North Atlantic Tracks]] are the most heavily used oceanic routes in the world, and are largely covered by ETOPS 120-minute rules, thereby removing the necessity of using 180-minute rules. However, North Atlantic diversion airports are subject to adverse weather conditions that affect their availability for use. As a result, the JAA and FAA have given 15% extension to the 120-minute rules to deal with such contingencies, resulting to ETOPS-138 (i.e. 138 minutes) to allow ETOPS flights with such airports closed. By the mid-2010s, virtually all North Atlantic plane routes were dominated by twin-engine aircraft.
[[File:HS-BBQ ETOPS (16814460076).jpg|thumb|A [[Thai AirAsia]] [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] with the designation indicating the aircraft to have ETOPS capabilities.]]
During the [[Cold War]], routes between Europe and East Asia were prohibited from flying over [[Soviet Union]] or [[China]] since both airspaces were previously heavily military-controlled. Virtually all flights between Europe and East Asia flew over the United States, often with a tank stop in [[Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport|Anchorage]], [[Alaska]]. They flew near the [[North Pole]] with a very large distance to usable airports, for which only three- and four-engine wide-body aircraft were permitted for safety reasons by international aviation authorities. Some flights between Europe and Oceania still largely pass through stopovers in Asia (either in the [[Middle East]] or [[Southeast Asia]]) or North America (either in [[Canada]] or the U.S.) given the current aircraft range restrictions and, in the case of the early and mid-2020s, the reinstatement of selected routes by airlines between the [[Western Hemisphere]] and [[Eastern Hemisphere]] bypassing [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia due to its ongoing war with Ukraine]].

For decades, [[narrow-body aircraft]] like the [[Airbus A320]] series, and the [[Boeing 737]] series and [[Boeing 757|757]] have continuously operated flights as approved for ETOPS operation, alongside earlier [[wide-body aircraft]] such as the A300 and [[Airbus A310|A310]], and [[Boeing 767]]. The success of ETOPS aircraft like [[Airbus A300|A300]] and Boeing 767 made the intercontinental [[trijets]] obsolete for passenger use, production of which was largely ended by the late 2000s with Boeing cancelling the [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]] program in the same period.

The rules have also allowed American legacy carriers ([[United Airlines]] and [[Delta Air Lines]] in particular) to use the Boeing 757 on "long and thin" transatlantic routes between their major hubs and secondary European cities<ref>{{cite news|last1=Higgins|first1=Michelle|title=The Flights Are Long. The Planes Are Cramped|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/travel/29pracsqueeze.html?_r=0|website=New York Times|date=29 July 2007 |access-date=29 July 2007}}</ref> that cannot generate the passenger demand to justify the use of a widebody airliner. The practice has been controversial, because although the 757 has adequate range to cross the Atlantic Ocean comfortably, strong headwinds caused by the [[jetstream]] over the winter months can result in westbound flights being declared "minimum fuel", forcing a refuelling stop at [[CYQX|Gander, Newfoundland]], in order to safely complete their journey.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Paur|first1=Jason|title=High Winds Forcing Pitstops On Transatlantic Flights|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/01/high-winds-forcing-pitstops-on-transatlantic-flights/|magazine=Wired|access-date=23 February 2016}}</ref>

[[Aloha Airlines]] operated 180-minute ETOPS–approved Boeing 737-700 aircraft on nonstop routes between the Hawaiian Islands and the western U.S. and also Vancouver, Canada.  The use of the smaller 737-700 enabled Aloha to serve routes that could not support larger jet aircraft with an example being the [[PHNL|Honolulu]] – [[Burbank Airport|Burbank]] nonstop route.  Prior to the 737-700 operation, Aloha Airlines had operated 737-200 aircraft to various Pacific islands utilizing 120 minute ETOPS.

Other new-generation ETOPS aircraft include the [[Airbus A220]] series, the [[Embraer E-Jets]] series and the [[ATR 72]]. By the mid-2010s, the widespread successes of ETOPS-reliant narrow-body aircraft have diminished the global market share of double-deck wide-body jets. At the onset of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in the early 2020s, Boeing and Airbus have since ended all production of the [[Boeing 747|747]] and [[Airbus A380|A380]], respectively (and both being the two largest commercial aircraft in the world). At the same time, the increasing prominence of new-generation ultra-long-range wide-body twinjets like the [[Boeing 777]] and [[Boeing 787|787]], and [[Airbus A330]] and [[Airbus A350|A350]] over the last decade has shifted the favor from [[four-engined jet aircraft|quadjets]] to [[twinjet]]s for international long-haul travel.

== Approval process ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2019}}

The cornerstone of the ETOPS approach is the statistics showing that the turbine assembly of a modern jet engine is an inherently reliable component. Engine ancillaries, by contrast, have a lower reliability rating. Therefore, an ETOPS-certified engine may be built with duplicate sets of certain ancillaries in order to receive the required reliability rating.

ETOPS approval is a two-step process. First, the airframe and engine combination must satisfy the basic ETOPS requirements during its [[Type certificate|type certification]]. This is called "ETOPS type approval". Such tests may include shutting down an engine and flying the remaining engine during the complete diversion time. Often such tests are performed in the middle of the ocean. It must be demonstrated that, during the diversion flight, the flight crew is not unduly burdened by extra workload due to the lost engine and that the probability of the remaining engine failing is extremely remote. For example, if an aircraft is rated for ETOPS-180, it means that it is able to fly with full load and just one engine for three hours.

Second, an operator who conducts ETOPS flights must satisfy their own country's aviation regulators about their ability to conduct ETOPS flights. This is called "ETOPS operational certification" and involves compliance with additional special engineering and flight crew procedures in addition to the normal engineering and flight procedures. Pilots and engineering staff must be qualified and trained for ETOPS. An airline with extensive experience operating long-distance flights may be awarded ETOPS operational approval immediately, while others may need to demonstrate ability through a series of ETOPS proving flights.

Regulators closely watch the ETOPS performance of both type certificate holders and their affiliated airlines. Any technical incidents during an ETOPS flight must be recorded. From the data collected, the reliability of the particular airframe-engine combination is measured and statistics published. The figures must be within limits of type certifications. Of course, the figures required for ETOPS-180 will always be more stringent than ETOPS-120. Unsatisfactory figures would lead to a downgrade or, worse, suspension of ETOPS capabilities either for the type certificate holder or the airline.

Engines must have an in-flight shutdown (IFSD) rate better than 1 per 20,000 hours for ETOPS-120, 1 per 50,000 hours for ETOPS-180, and 
1 per 100,000 hours for beyond ETOPS-180.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.icao.int/SAM/Documents/2014-EDTO/EDTO%20Module%20%204%20–%20Aircraft%20certification%20considerations.pdf |work= EDTO Workshop |title= Aircraft certification considerations |publisher= ICAO |date= 2014}}</ref>

Private jets are exempted from ETOPS by the FAA, but are subject to the ETOPS 120-minute rule in [[European Aviation Safety Agency|EASA's]] jurisdiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://part-aero.com/#part-cat/CAT.OP.MPA.140|title=CAT.OP.MPA.140|website=part-aero.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref><!-- JAA has been disbanded-->

Government-owned aircraft (including military) do not have to adhere to ETOPS regulations.{{Citation needed|date = February 2017}}

== Ratings ==

There are different levels of ETOPS certification, each allowing aircraft to fly on routes that are a certain amount of single-engine flying time away from the nearest suitable airport. For example, if an aircraft is certified for 180 minutes, it is permitted to fly any route not more than 180 minutes' single-engine flying time to the nearest suitable airport.

The following ratings are awarded under current regulations according to the capability of the airliner:
* ETOPS-75
* ETOPS-90
* ETOPS-120/138
* ETOPS-180/207
* ETOPS-240
* ETOPS-270
* ETOPS-330
* ETOPS-370

However, ratings for ETOPS type approval are fewer. They are:
* ETOPS-90
* ETOPS-120/138
* ETOPS-180/207, which covers 95% of the Earth's surface.
* ETOPS->180 to design limit

==Designation==
[[File:Muscat International Airport - 2024-10-24 - Andy Mabbett - 09.jpg|thumb|A Boeing 737 with ETOPS indication.]]
Until the mid-1980s, the term EROPS (extended range operations) was used before being superseded by ETOPS usage. In 1997, when Boeing proposed to extend ETOPS authority for twins to beyond 180 minutes, Airbus proposed to replace ETOPS by a newer system, referred to as Long Range Operational Performance Standards (LROPS), which would affect all civil airliners, not just those with a twin-engine configuration with more than 180 minutes ETOPS.

===US FAA ===

The [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] stated in the [[Federal Register]] in 2007:
<blockquote>This final rule applies to air carrier (part 121), commuter, and on-demand (part 135) turbine powered multi-engine airplanes used in extended-range operations. However, all-cargo operations in airplanes with more than two engines of both part 121 and part 135 are exempted from the majority of this rule. Today's rule [January 16, 2007] establishes regulations governing the design, operation and maintenance of certain airplanes operated on flights that fly long distances from an adequate airport. This final rule codifies current FAA policy, industry best practices and recommendations, as well as international standards designed to ensure long-range flights will continue to operate safely."<ref>{{cite news |publisher= [[Federal Register]] |volume= 72 |number= 9 |date= January 16, 2007 |work= Rules and Regulations |page= 1808 |author= Federal Aviation Administration |author-link= Federal Aviation Administration |title= Extended Operations (ETOPS) of MultiEngine Airplanes |url= http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007-01-16/pdf/07-39.pdf}}</ref></blockquote> and <blockquote>Several commenters … recommended use of the acronym "LROPS"—meaning 'Long Range Operations'—for three- and four-engine ETOPS, to avoid confusion, particularly for those operations beyond 180 minutes' diversion time. The FAA has decided to use the single term, 'extended operations,' or ETOPS, for all affected operations regardless of the number of engines on the airplane."<ref>{{cite news |publisher= [[Federal Register]] |volume= 72 |number= 9 |date= January 16, 2007 |work= Rules and Regulations |page= 1813 |author= Federal Aviation Administration |author-link= Federal Aviation Administration |title= Extended Operations (ETOPS) of MultiEngine Airplanes |url= http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007-01-16/pdf/07-39.pdf}}</ref></blockquote>

Prior to 2007, the FAA used the  term for ''Extended Range Operation with Two-Engine Airplanes'' but the meaning was changed when regulations were broadened to include aircraft with more than two engines.<ref>{{cite web|title= New ETOPS Regulations |url= http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info/all_infos/media/2007/inFO07004.pdf |work= Information for Operators |publisher= FAA |date= Jan 26, 2007 }}</ref>
[[File:Air Asia Airbus A320Neo 9M-AGE.jpg|thumb|An [[AirAsia]] [[A320neo]] with the newer EDTO designation.]]

===EDTO – Extended Diversion Time Operations===
In 2017 ICAO amendment 36 to Part I of Annex 6 of the [[Chicago Convention]] replaced the term ETOPS with the new term EDTO (Extended Diversion Time Operations). The main reason of this change in the terminology was to better reflect the scope and applicability of these new standards.<ref name=Doc10085_EDTO/>

===Backronym===

A colloquial aviation [[backronym]] is "Engines Turn Or Passengers Swim", referring to the inevitable emergency [[water landing]] of a twin engine aircraft after a double [[Turbine engine failure|engine failure]] over water outside gliding range of land.<ref name=JALC2013/>

== See also ==
* [[Twinjet]]
* [[Longest flights]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{cite news |url= http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_22/etops.pdf |title= New ETOPS regulations |publisher= [[Boeing]] |magazine= Aero magazine |date= April 2003}}
* {{cite news |url= http://www.smartcockpit.com/download.php?path=docs/&file=Revision_Of_Rule_for_ETOPS_and_LROPS.pdf |title= Revision Of Rule for ETOPS and LROPS |date= July 2003 |publisher= [[Airbus]] |magazine= FAST Magazine |pages= 16–23 |access-date= 2019-07-31 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170103085949/http://www.smartcockpit.com/download.php?path=docs%2F&file=Revision_Of_Rule_for_ETOPS_and_LROPS.pdf |archive-date= 2017-01-03 |url-status= dead }}
* {{cite web |title= FAA frees twins from ETOPS limits |work= [[Flight International]] |date= January 16, 2007 |publisher= Reed Publication Limited |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/faa-frees-twins-from-etops-limits-211518/}}
* {{cite web |title= New ETOPS Regulations |publisher= [[Federal Aviation Administration]] |date= January 26, 2007 |url= http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info/all_infos/media/2007/info07004.pdf}}
* {{cite news |title= The New FAA ETOPS Rule |publisher= [[Boeing]] |work= Aero Magazine |date= April 2007 |url= http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/qtr_2_07/AERO_Q207_article2.pdf}}
* {{cite web |url= http://icaonacc.org/Meetings/RASGPA/RASGPA4/Presentation1Airbus.pdf |title= Overview of new ETOPS / LROPS / EDTO rules |publisher= [[Airbus]] |date= October 2011 |access-date= 2016-05-10 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170103085409/http://icaonacc.org/Meetings/RASGPA/RASGPA4/Presentation1Airbus.pdf |archive-date= 2017-01-03 |url-status= dead }}
* {{cite web |url= https://www.icao.int/SAM/Pages/MeetingsDocumentation.aspx?m=2014-EDTO |title= SAM Workshop on Extended Diversion Time Operations (EDTO) |date= September–October 2014 |publisher= ICAO}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.gcmap.com |title= Great Circle Mapper |quote= ETOPS option shades no-go areas}}
* {{cite web |url= https://flightcrewguide.com/wiki/infl-terminology/etops-extended-range-operations-two-engine-aeroplanes/ |title= ETOPS (Extended range operations for two engine aeroplanes |work= Flight Crew Guide|date= 24 September 2013 }}

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[[Category:Aviation licenses and certifications]]
[[Category:Aviation safety]]