The point I was trying to make in my earlier post is a general one. As SITMOFO says ETOPS is a planning exercise - it is the strategic part of the old "strategic versus tactical" operation. We have sufficient time to consider this strategic information during the planning phase. Then what happens? Something goes "bang" and we are suddenly tactical with inadequate information and no time. I, of course, intended no slight on The Outer Islands and their inhabitants in my post. (Although some of the touchier of our northern readers seemed to imagine it). However, consider that the general rule is that the smaller the population of a community the lesser its facilities are (politics and economics). The crew involved in the subject incident had no local knowledge. They unfortunately did not have information on the airstair situation and probably had no certain knowledge of available medical facilities. They did a great job handling the situation they were presented. However, would it not have been preferable that they could have tapped into some accurate, current data source to provide rapid guidance during this incident? There have been several embarressing incidents involving this lack of information about diversion airfields, including one where an aircraft diverted with a medical emergency to an airfield with bad weather and no suitable medical facilities. It took a couple of days for a rescue aircraft to fly in and get the ill pax to a suitable hospital.
All I am suggesting is that an "official" assessment be made of all airfields that are nominated, or are likely to be used as, diversion airfields. Information on their various facilities should be made available and updated - just as we presently do with nav. charts - and the facilities (such as airstairs and ground power) should be updated when necessary and feasible.