Originally Posted by Kiwiguy
Yeah I realise that one doesn't get ETOPS approval without demonstrated experience on type etc, but I thought the 90 minute rule applied to aircraft that weren't ETOPS rated ?
The 90 minute rule was surely the predecessor to ETOPS wasn't it ?
Where does 75 minutes come from ?
I think that while the general ICAO requirement before ETOPS was 90 minutes from diversion, US was more conservative and required that twins should stay within 60 minutes of diversion. Which is one reason why it was Airbus rather than Douglas or Lockheed that invented twin widebody: they had more liberal safety standards in Europe.
Then when ETOPS came out, US started giving out 90 minute ETOPS privileges as well as 75 minute ETOPS privileges, because the limit for non-ETOPS qualified twins remained 60 minutes.
What is the position in Australia and New Zealand?