Virgin sums it up perfectly
I think the data speaks for itself. Millions of ETOPS hours flown with no defineable risk increase. Additionally ETOPS is dead and gone, it is now EDTO, where much more than just engine failure is considered, and in those areas 4 eng aircraft have zero safety advantage over a modern twin. Further if Australia was to go alone against the globally accepted ICAO EDTO standard, both Australian International airlines would become a footnote in the history books within a year as they became unable to compete against every other airline flying big twins.
That race has been run and won.
The assertion that CASA put cost ahead of safety is a totally different issue and one that I think is beyond doubt, but you will need to come up with a better argument than ETOPS/EDTO.
Dick,
You can takeoff from Sydney bound for Perth direct in a twin with a non EDTO approved aircraft that has to stay within 60 mins of Adequate Aerodromes. There is no requirement for these aerodromes to have good weather. They could all be fogged in. Assuming the flight time is 5 hours, you could be 2.5 hours from safety. Legally. And you could have MELs that further reduce the levels of safety (APU out etc).
However if you are EDTO approved twin aircraft (say 120 minute) you need to have weather conditions that are pretty good at your EDTO Alternate Aerodromes a maximum (equivalent) of 2 hours away. And you can't depart with certain systems/items inop lest they reduce the safety margins, you need to actively monitor the weather conditions when underway, AND all your critical systems have been inspected by different engineers in case they make the same mistake on both....
Ergo EDTO can be significantly safer than normal non EDTO flights. Should CASA ban non-EDTO flights?
Which also shows the fallacy of your proposition Dick based on regulatory requirements and real world implementation.
FWIW I ferried a 767 from JFK to LGW many moons ago that was effectively missing the correct regulatory piece of paper that would have enabled us to dispatch ETOPs, as a result it was perfectly legal for us to fly via the blue spruce routes with not an airport between St Johns and Prestwick serious options due to a fairly standard North Atlantic winter.
I’ve spent 20 years flying 180-207 mins, I’m far more concerned about an onboard PED or IFE fire than an engine issue simply because that’s the reality.