ETOPS
The approval that allows a twin-engined airliner to fly a route far from any suitable diversion airport.
Also written
extended operations
An ETOPS rating is stated in minutes of single-engine flying time to an alternate — 180 minutes and beyond is routine now. Extending it to twins is what made the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 and the Airbus A330 and A350 able to replace three- and four-engined aircraft on ocean crossings, and is the main reason four-engined airliners have all but disappeared.
Nearby in Aviation
- diversion — A flight that lands somewhere other than its planned destination.
- DME — A radio system that tells an aircraft its slant distance from a ground beacon.
- ferry flight — A flight with no revenue payload, flown to reposition an aircraft.
- final approach — The last leg of an approach, flown aligned with the runway and descending towards it.