Couldn't the oil companies take on the leadership role here ? They're the biggest, richest, most powerfull lobby group on the planet - since when if they really want something do they sit back and listen to a myriad of reasons why something can't be done from equipment manufacturers or anyone else ?
This 30 minute wording "requirement" was first "required" what, over 20 years ago ? Well this is 2009, and we're flying 90 minutes out into the North Atlantic, so maybe someone should take another look at what's "required" today.
And before all the naysayers start protesting about the cost, and the weight, and the space limitations, and the engineering, just how fast did it take for someone to engineer a delivery system for a hulking big spare tank of aviation fuel to extend the range ? (don't even want to get into the discussion of where it's located).
Is the technology already there, but it was decided we're not going to use it because...................?
Maybe big oil should say look enough of this debate based on a twenty year old 30 minute wording regulation, here's what we need based on our current and future operating requirements, make it happen - who's going to tell them no, you can't have that ? (especially if military was pushing the same issue).
Given that there's an ongoing accident investigation, public inquiry and possibly litigation at some point, a few choice phone calls from certain CEO's who wanted to change their "requirements" would set a fine example and probably get things moving pretty quickly.