Originally Posted by
roberto99
Earlier ETOPS rules required a period of time for each plane to prove that its engines were reliable before being ETOPS certified.
There have been many instances if the ETOPS rules being relaxed.
Thanks for the ETOPS connection. I think I found it (
link):
PROPOSED NEW PART 135 APPENDIX H
B. CERTIFICATE HOLDER EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO CONDUCTING ETOPS
Safety is enhanced when, prior to conducting ETOPS, a certificate holder gains operational experience in the type of airplane capable of ETOPS, and with the operational environment typically encountered on longer range flights (up to 180 minutes) in areas where airports available for an enroute diversion are limited. Typically, this involves prior operational experience on overwater flights to international areas of operation in accordance with part 135.Operators requesting authority to operate ETOPS would have to show operating experience on international routes with a transport category turbine powered airplane. For this particular case, experience with international operations does not include operations from the 48 contiguous States to Canada and Mexico. This experience can only be obtained on extended flight operations that involve oceanic crossings.
A minimum 12 months operating experience is required. The proposal allows for up to 6 months credit toward the 12-month requirement for those operators that were certificated under part 135 or part 121 prior to the effective date of this rule. Additionally, for operators with previous ETOPS experience with other airplane types may have that experience credited in whole, or in part to the 12 month experience requirement.
So it only applies to aircraft
types that are new to the carrier, not individual aircraft. The conversation covered deliveries of a type already present in the fleet, as well as the introduction of a new type so I must've misunderstood the application of the rule.
It does explain why ANA's A380 did not have to adhere to it and it also explains why BA is avoiding the US with its A350s so far. VS otoh
do get to fly their shiny new A350 to JFK, though. So who knows!
In any case, I was wrong to bring it up in the context of this thread because it clearly doesn't apply to the 77W for ANA.