ETOPS Questions & Answers

Transcription

1 ETOPS s & s The Boeing Commercial Airplanes ETOPS White Paper Overview This appendix to the ETOPS White Paper Lists frequently asked questions about ETOPS and offers clear, simple answers. Divides these questions and answers among the following subject categories: 1. ETOPS Overview 2. Current ETOPS Rules 3. The New U.S. ETOPS Rules 4. Safety and Reliability 5. ETOPS Diversions 6. ETOPS Economics Note that this appendix (like all sections of the BCA ETOPS White Paper) is formatted for ease of use as a stand-alone document. Individual sections of this white paper address different issues and aspects of ETOPS. See the Introduction to this paper for the table of contents. Part 1 ETOPS Overview What is ETOPS? Extended-range operations with two-engine airplanes (ETOPS) is a conservative, evolutionary program under which two-engine jets, or twinjets, can fly routes that are at some point more than one hour s flying time from an available airport. Since 1953, airliners with two engines have been restricted to operations within 60 minutes of an airport. However, ETOPS rules have extended these times to 180 minutes and, in some cases, to 207 minutes. Do I have to make any modifications to my Boeing jetliner to fly ETOPS? While some early twin-engine Boeing jetliners were not delivered ETOPS equipped, today airlines do not have to modify their airplanes because virtually all Boeing twinjets built today are delivered ETOPS capable. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 1

2 ETOPS s & s (continued) Has ETOPS been a success? Since ETOPS flying began in 1985, it has been a huge success and is today the state-of-the-art in intercontinental air travel. Performed worldwide, it ranks among the very safest and most reliable of all flight operations. As of June 2004, about 4 million ETOPS twinjet flights have been logged, and about 125 operators worldwide today fly about 1,370 more every day. What are the benefits to airlines that operate twinjets as opposed to jetliners with three or four engines? In general, airlines that fly twinjets experience fewer airplane-related delays than do competitors flying three- and four-engine jets on the same routes. When flying the same distance and carrying an equivalent payload, twinjets cost less to operate, consume less fuel, and are environmentally preferred relative to three- or four-engine jets of comparable size and performance. Are there many flights over the Atlantic using twin-engine airplanes? Yes. In fact, two-engine jetliners today account for more than 70 percent of all flights across the North Atlantic. While all jetliners are safe, twinjets combine the highest safety and reliability with lower fuel consumption and lower environmental emissions than other jets. Twinjets are more economical than three- and four-engine jets and they come in more sizes. This lets airlines profitably link smaller cities with direct services. As a result, you re far more likely today to find nonstop flights across the Atlantic than you were just 20 years ago, when threeand four-engine jets predominated over the Atlantic. What about other extended routes, such as across the Pacific Ocean? The four-engine Boeing 747 still dominates in long-range, nonstop services across the North Pacific. Nevertheless, smaller-capacity ETOPS twinjets, such as the 767 and 777, today account for more transpacific flights per day than three- and four-engine jetliners combined. The 777 was designed with the North Atlantic in mind. The world s largest twinjet, it offers greater range than any other jetliner now in service or on the drawing boards. After the 747, the 777 is the airplane most widely used on long-haul routes between Asia and North America. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 2

3 ETOPS s & s (continued) Part 2 Current ETOPS Rules How are twin-engine long-haul operations different from three- and fourengine long-haul operations? The requirements for long-haul operations are identical if the route does not at any point extend beyond 60 minutes flying time of an en route alternate airport. A nonstop flight between Singapore and London is one example of a long route with identical operational requirements for all jets, regardless of how many engines they have. In contrast, ETOPS rules come into effect on routes that do require a twinjet to fly beyond 60 minutes of an airport. ETOPS twinjet operators must meet additional design, maintenance, and operational requirements that Further enhance the reliability of operations. Further protect the airplane, its passengers, and its crew in the event that an emergency diversion is performed to an alternate airport. Although three- and four-engine operators are not currently required to meet ETOPS requirements, many do so on a voluntarily basis to enhance reliability and further ensure safety. Under the new U.S. ETOPS rules now pending (see Part 3 below), moreover, three- and four-engine operators that fly extended routes (i.e., air routes with the potential for an extendedduration diversion to an alternate en route airport) will soon be required to meet updated ETOPS requirements. What about flying over polar or mountainous regions in a twinjet airliner? Airlines currently fly Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft on routes across the North Polar Region (i.e., north of 78 degrees north latitude). Operation of 777 twinjets in this region is performed under 180-minute ETOPS rules. Examples of airlines currently flying these new polar routes between Asia and North America are United Airlines (747s and 777s), Continental Airlines (777s), and Air China (747s). Regulations and standards for operating over mountainous terrain (such as across Greenland) require performance margins in the event that jetliners must cruise at reduced altitude as a result of propulsion failures (i.e., driftdown performance ). The calculated drift-down performance of two- and four-engine jetliners is comparable based on current U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Joint Airworthiness Authorities (JAA) rules and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for route planning. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 3

4 ETOPS s & s (continued) Are there times ETOPS flights have non-optimal (i.e., indirect) routings? Under current ETOPS rules, airlines can fly optimal routings almost all the time. The pending U.S. ETOPS rule changes (see immediately below and Section 2) will further improve the likelihood of optimal routings for twinjets in extended operations because the new rules address the needs of operators in different regions of the world as well as the designed and certified capabilities of each airplane type (airframe/engine combination). Part 3 The New U.S. ETOPS Rules I understand that rulemaking now pending by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will update and standardize ETOPS requirements. Is this correct? Yes, new U.S. ETOPS rules are now pending. Announced by the FAA in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) of November 14, 2003, this regulatory updating of ETOPS was collaboratively defined by the ETOPS Working Group of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), a U.S. entity with global participation. The new rules apply updated and standardized ETOPS requirements to all airplanes flying extended routes (i.e., air routes with the potential for an extended-duration diversion). This broadening of ETOPS reflects industry recognition that proven ETOPS practices can further enhance the safety and reliability of all extended operations, not just those flown with twinjets. In light of this broader application of ETOPS, the ETOPS acronym itself is being redefined to simply mean extended operations. These pending new ETOPS rules recognize the high standards of safety and reliability that have been achieved during nearly two decades of highly successful ETOPS twinjet operations worldwide. The FAA is currently reviewing comments received in response to its NPRM and making those changes that it deems advisable. It is expected that the new U.S. ETOPS rules will come into effect perhaps as soon as mid What will these pending new ETOPS rules mean to 767 and 777 operators? Under current ETOPS rules, twinjets are limited to routes that are never more than 180 minutes from an alternate airport. The exception is the 777, which can fly 207-minute ETOPS across the Pacific Ocean. If the FAA accepts ARAC recommendations, twinjets will be permitted to fly beyond these current diversion-time limits. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 4

5 ETOPS s & s (continued) (cont d) When enacted, the new U.S. ETOPS rules will define the requirements that twinjets must comply with when operating beyond 180 or 207 minutes of an alternate airport. Operators must demonstrate that the airplane has (1) sufficient range capability, and (2) sufficient time-limited-systems capacity (i.e., continuous cargo fire suppression capability). The 767 would require additional systems changes to qualify for possible operations beyond 180 minutes. No additional changes are anticipated for the 777, which has been designed from the outset for operations beyond 240 minutes. Under the new rules, 777 operators will be able to fly any pointto-point route in the world for which their airplanes have sufficient range capability and cargo fire suppression capacity. What about the new Boeing 7E7 twinjet? Like the 777, the new 7E7 twinjet is being designed for ETOPS beyond 240 minutes. Under the new rules, 7E7 operators will be able to fly any route in the world for which the ultra-efficient 7E7 has sufficient range capability and cargo fire suppression system capacity. How will the pending new extended operations (ETOPS) rules affect existing three- or four-engine jet operations? Operators of existing three- and four-engine jets are currently permitted to fly any point-to-point routes regardless of how far those routes take the airplane from an available alternate airport. Under the proposed new U.S. ETOPS rules, these tri and quad operators will still be able to perform unlimited extended operations. However, when they fly routes that take their three- or four-engine jets more than 180 minutes from an alternate airport, they for the first time will be required to comply with updated versions of the proven safety and reliability enhancements that ETOPS twinjet operators have had to meet since Specifically, the new ETOPS rules will require existing three- and fourengine extended operators to Have an ETOPS maintenance program in place. Develop a plan that ensures the well-being of passengers at diversion airports and provides for their safe retrieval without undue delay. Identify suitable alternate airports for the routes they fly and verify that these identified diversion airports are above specified weather minima at the time of dispatch and again when entering the ETOPS portion of flight. (continued) December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 5

6 ETOPS s & s (continued) (cont d) Carry an ETOPS fuel reserve to ensure sufficient fuel in the event of a loss of cabin pressure and subsequent diversion at low altitude where speed is reduced and fuel consumption rises. Have the most reliable voice-based communications technology, and have another means of communication in areas where communication is not possible using this most reliable technology. Have available all airplane performance data that might be required. Be able to continuously suppress a cargo fire throughout the maximum planned diversion time for that route. An ETOPS maintenance program the highest standard in maintenance implements practices and procedures that can significantly reduce the rate of in-flight engine failures, which can be costly and disruptive events for airlines! Many three- and four-engine extended operators have already voluntarily raised their maintenance standards to ETOPS levels, which suggests that the benefits of ETOPS maintenance are well recognized by the industry, and operators find it cost effective. These new ETOPS rules will also be applicable whenever tris and quads fly within the polar regions. The new ETOPS rules designate these regions areas of ETOPS applicability. What do the new rules mean to the 747? As stated, the 747 will still be able to fly the routes it does today. However, operators of the 747 and other four- and three-engine jets will have to meet ETOPS requirements that ETOPS twinjet operators have met since Tri and quad extended operators will have up to six years after the new ETOPS rules take effect to meet the ETOPS requirement for cargo fire suppression. This six-year time frame allows for the 747 s cargo fire suppression system to be upgraded during regularly scheduled airplane heavy maintenance cycles. Does the reduction in reserve fuel for twinjets suggest a lower level of safety? No. Under the new ETOPS rules, twinjets in extended service will remain fully protected while carrying somewhat less reserve fuel than in the past. ETOPS specifies a fuel reserve to ensure adequate fuel in the exceedingly rare event of a loss of cabin pressure followed by an airplane diversion at low altitude where fuel consumption increases. Under the rules, this fuel reserve requirement has simply been updated based on extensive review December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 6

7 ETOPS s & s (continued) (cont d) of data relating to the accuracy of wind forecasting, and the icing scenario of the Canadian Atlantic Storms Program (CASP II). Also under these pending new rules, airplanes with more than two engines will be required to carry an ETOPS fuel reserve for the first time, although many three- and four-engine operators already carry a reserve to cover cabin depressurization as a matter of internal airline policy. What about the JAA and EASA? Will they enact the same regulations regarding ETOPS as the FAA? The European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are also working to develop standards for extended operations. In light of these FAA and JAA/EASA efforts, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) a branch of the United Nations is reviewing its current annexes and associated guidance materials and plans to propose changes as appropriate for all airplanes. The Boeing Company supports the harmonization of aviation standards among regulatory authorities worldwide. Boeing actively supports these JAA/EASA and ICAO efforts. We do not know what the final JAA/EASA ETOPS rules will be, just as we don t yet know exactly what the final FAA rulemaking will be. How will the FAA s new ETOPS rules affect the ability of airlines to obtain ETOPS operational approvals? There are two basic methods by which airlines may obtain approval to perform ETOPS: In-service experience. Accelerated ETOPS. When ETOPS began, in-service experience was the only method by which airlines could obtain approval. Based on industry experience, a second method accelerated ETOPS was developed soon afterward that has proven very effective. Accelerated ETOPS is a process-based approach that reduces or eliminates the need for airlines to demonstrate in-service experience before initiating ETOPS operations. Widely used around the world, accelerated ETOPS is today the preferred means for obtaining ETOPS operational approvals. The new U.S. ETOPS regulations now pending make it easier for airlines to obtain ETOPS approvals by clearly formalizing requirements for both of these methods. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 7

8 ETOPS s & s (continued) Will the new FAA ETOPS rules require me to make any modifications to my Boeing twinjets? In general, operators will not have to modify their twin-engine Boeing jetliners to fly ETOPS, because virtually all Boeing twinjets built today are delivered ETOPS capable. The single exception is that all airplanes used in extended operation not just twinjets may need to be modified with additional cargo fire suppression system capacity before being allowed to operate beyond 180 minutes flying time of an alternate airport. Part 4 Safety and Reliability Are two-engine jetliners as safe as those with three or four engines? Definitely. Twinjets as a category are at least as safe as jetliners with more than two engines. Of course, all modern commercial jet transports are safe, as ensured by the rigorous type certification process. Since 1958, the world s airlines have logged some 430 million flights. Out of this total, twinjets account for about 284 million flights or 66% of all jetliner departures. Analysis of this vast operational experience shows that twinjets consistently demonstrate the Lowest overall hull-loss accident rate. Lowest engine-related hull-loss accident rate. It should be noted that although twinjets consistently rank as the safest of all jetliners, in the real world their statistical advantage is meaningless. The possibility of any accident occurring is so enormously remote that for all practical purposes all jetliners are equally safe. How safe are jet engines? Today s high-bypass-ratio fanjet engines are enormously reliable, so much so that it s not uncommon for airline pilots to fly an entire career without ever experiencing an engine failure in flight! Concern about engines failing is an understandable holdover from aviation s earlier days. However, modern fanjets are vastly more reliable than the piston engines that powered airliners back in the propeller era a half-century ago. And since the start of the jet age, this engine reliability has continued to increase in a dramatic ongoing trend that helps make air travel by far the safest mode of mass transportation ever devised. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 8

9 ETOPS s & s (continued) Are four-engine jetliners safer over long distances than two-engine jets? The safety and reliability of twinjets are unaffected by distances flown. At any range they re designed and certified to operate, modern twinjets retain their leading safety. Whether your next flight is a short, medium, long, or very long flight, you can feel confident aboard a twinjet! Over 90 percent of new commercial jetliners delivered today are twinjets, and 90 percent of commercial flights in 2003 were made by twinjets. Since they re the safest, most reliable, most efficient, most economical, and most environmentally preferred airliners, it s hardly surprising that the industry has standardized on two engines as the preferred configuration. Even if engine failures are rare, what happens when one fails in flight? Twinjets are designed to fly safely in the event of an engine failure. They are 100 percent overpowered (i.e., each engine alone can provide all the thrust that s needed), so they can take off and climb out successfully if the engine failure happens on takeoff. If it happens in cruise, twins can cruise indefinitely on one engine. Single-engine cruise is a safe condition, not an emergency. It is a planned, designed, and certified capability of twinjets. What are the chances of both engines failing on a twinjet? If that happens, it clearly can t sustain flight. There are two ways that both engines can fail in flight on a twinjet. One is for related reasons, such as running out of fuel or flying into a cloud of volcanic ash. Of course, events like these are enormously rare and can strike any jetliner, regardless of how many engines it has. Of course, both of a twinjet s engines could also fail in flight for unrelated reasons. What is the likelihood of this happening? In fact, the probability of two sequential, unrelated in-flight engine failures occurring on the same twinjet during the same flight is approximately 1x10-10 or one chance in ten billion per flight hour. Given such a remote probability, it is not surprising that in more than four decades and 284 million flights, no Western-built twinjet has ever been lost as a result of a loss of thrust in both engines from unrelated causes. This is not to say that it cannot happen, of course. However, past experience and ongoing improvements in engine reliability suggest that it is highly unlikely. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 9

10 ETOPS s & s (continued) Do some parts of a flight expose travelers to more risk than others? Yes, some parts are riskier than others although none is anywhere near as risky as many of the other things that people do regularly, such as traveling by car. Flying can be divided into three phases: takeoff and climb, cruise, and approach and landing. Looking at accident rates by phase of flight, it turns out that cruise (the phase of flight where ETOPS is flown) is the safest portion of any flight. Only about 6 percent of all accidents occur during cruise. In contrast, about 35 percent of accidents occur during takeoff and climb, and nearly 60 percent occur during the approach and landing. Because so few accidents occur in cruise, long flights are not significantly riskier than short ones. Of course, a single long nonstop flight is safer than multiple short flights because one s exposure to the relatively higher risk of additional takeoffs and landings is reduced. How reliable are twinjets compared to three- and four-engine jets? Twinjets are the most reliable of all jetliners. That makes sense because there s more to maintain and go wrong on jets with more engines. In fact, twins demonstrate the highest schedule reliability of any category of jet. You re a bit more likely to depart and arrive on time aboard a twinjet. How has ETOPS made long-range travel safer and more reliable? The ETOPS program is based on a dual preclude and protect philosophy that enhances safety and reliability in two ways: ETOPS-related design improvements and maintenance practices increase the reliability and robustness of airplane engines and systems, making it less likely that a jet will need to divert from its intended course to an unscheduled landing at an alternate airport. ETOPS operational requirements introduce proactive measures that further protect the airplane, its passengers, and its crew should a diversion nevertheless become desirable or necessary. This philosophy has indirectly benefited the entire airline industry, not just ETOPS operators. All commercial flight operations today, including those made with three- and four-engine jetliners, benefit from gains made in the reliability and robustness of fanjet engines and systems that were initially achieved through the ETOPS program and have subsequently been broadly implemented by the world s airframe and engine manufacturers. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 10

11 ETOPS s & s (continued) Part 5 ETOPS Diversions When an engine fails in flight, I know twinjets have to divert. Are threeand four-engine jets also required to divert? In the event of an in-flight engine failure or shutdown, FAA regulations require the twinjet to land at the nearest suitable airport. Note that the nearest suitable airport isn t necessarily the nearest airport; the regulation gives the pilot-in-command some flexibility in determining which airport is best. Three- and four-engine jets must also divert to a suitable alternate airport in the event of an in-flight engine failure or shutdown. However, the rule lets tris and quads continue beyond the nearest suitable alternate if the pilot-incommand determines that so doing will not diminish the safety of the flight. Many tri and quad flight crews nevertheless elect to perform precautionary diversions to the nearest suitable airport based on their discretion or the airline s internal policies. These requirements remain unchanged under the pending new ETOPS rules. Will these propulsion-related diversion requirements change when the new U.S. ETOPS rules take effect? No. The requirements governing airplane diversion following a propulsion failure remain substantively unchanged under the new FAA ETOPS rules. To help eliminate a source of past confusion, however, guidance material associated with the new ETOPS rules clarifies the intent of the applicable regulation (14 CFR ). Does a three- or four-engine airplane have more systems redundancy than a two-engine airplane? Redundancy is no longer necessarily related to the number of engines on an airplane. For example, the 777 has more sources of electrical power than the 747. What is important is that the overall probability of total loss of each and every critical system has been assessed and determined to provide acceptable safety for the intended mission. In this age of conservative design and enormously reliable fanjet engines, data analysis confirms that the two-engine configuration provides optimal propulsion redundancy as well as a safe level of system redundancy. As a category, twinjets consistently demonstrate the lowest overall accident rate as well as the lowest engine-related accident rate. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 11

12 ETOPS s & s (continued) Does Boeing design its aircraft to preclude diversions? Yes, Boeing leads the industry in spearheading ETOPS and other reliability enhancements that have dramatically lowered the rate of airplane-related diversions in recent decades. Attesting to the effectiveness of these efforts, Boeing jets consistently demonstrate the highest reliability rates in the industry. The Boeing Next-Generation 737 is the most reliable jetliner in service and the Boeing 777 follows close on its heels as the most reliable twin-aisle jetliner. Both feature dispatch reliability above 99 percent. What more can Boeing do on the design front to avoid diversions? Boeing and the industry have been tremendously successful over the years at reducing the rate of technical diversions (i.e., airplane-related diversions to airports other than the intended destination). While efforts continue to further enhance the reliability and robustness of airplane systems, such efforts cannot entirely eliminate diversions because more than 90 percent diversions are non-technical in nature (i.e., the result of passenger illness, bad weather, and other factors not related to the airplane). Should all operators take alternate airports into consideration as they plan their flights, or is that something that only ETOPS operators do? The availability of alternate en route airports enhances safety for all flights, not just ETOPS flights. Although diversions are rare events, any airplane (regardless of how many engines it has) might someday need to divert to an airport other than its intended destination for reasons that can include passenger illness, smoke in the cabin or cockpit, turbulence, adverse winds, weather, fuel leak, cargo fire, or the failure of an engine or significant system. Formalizing this alternate-airport planning and requiring operators to verify their planned alternates are available through weather checks are among the ways that ETOPS further enhances operational safety. Part 6 ETOPS Economics What are the economic benefits of ETOPS? The key economic benefit of ETOPS is that it allows airlines to fly twinjets in extended service. Twinjets use less fuel, cost less to fly, and are more reliable than tris and quads. They come in more sizes, letting airlines more closely match airplane capacity to market demand. Smaller capacity twins can also fly point-to-point services that would be unprofitable with a 747- size airplane. All of this saves airlines money and reduces economic risk. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 12

13 ETOPS s & s (continued) What costs are there to ETOPS (training, maintenance, spares, etc.)? While there are minor cost elements associated with ETOPS, experience suggests that it is ultimately a cost saving technology. Operators flying three- and four-engine airplanes are not currently required to meet the high ETOPS standard, yet many elect to comply with key ETOPS safety and reliability enhancements on a voluntary basis. This elective application of ETOPS best practices suggests that the operational and maintenance benefits of ETOPS are well recognized by the global industry, and that airlines do find them cost effective. Flight training some ground training is required for flight crews, but not any flight training because there are no ETOPS-unique piloting skills need that would need to be taught or practiced. Maintenance operators must perform some additional maintenance tasks over and above the work they normally perform on their airplanes. This ETOPS-specific maintenance Dramatically reduces the rate of on-wing engine failures and other in-flight failures of critical systems, sparing airlines many potentially costly service disruptions. Is generally characterized by ETOPS operators as being neither burdensome nor onerous. Spares the ETOPS program does not specify or recommend spare parts provisioning levels for airplanes. Spares provisioning is up to the airlines and is not necessarily affected by whether a flight is ETOPS or not. In general, spares are not named by operators as being a source of additional ETOPS-related costs. See Section 12 of the ETOPS White Paper for more information. How does an ETOPS twinjet compare against a four-engine jetliner in terms of maintenance and spares? Twinjets require less maintenance because they have half as many engines and fewer parts overall than four-engine aircraft. For these same reasons, the number of spare parts that airlines must stock is reduced. Also for these reasons, of course, twinjets cost less to manufacture in the first place, so their acquisition costs tend to be lower than those of four-engine jets. As suggested above, see Section 12 for more information. How much reserve fuel is required for extended operations (i.e., flights on routes where there is the potential for an extended-duration diversion)? What are the economic and performance impacts? December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 13

14 ETOPS s & s (continued) ETOPS requirements specify a very conservative fuel reserve that ensures sufficient fuel in the unlikely event of a cabin depressurization followed by a diversion at low altitude where fuel consumption increases. While threeand four-engine jets are not required to carry a decompression fuel reserve, many operators do so voluntarily as a matter of internal airline policy. Under the pending new ETOPS rules, tris and quads will be required to carry an ETOPS fuel reserve when they fly extended routes that take them more than 180 minutes from an alternate airport (or when they operate in the polar regions). Also under these new rules, twinjet ETOPS operators will be required to carry slightly less reserve fuel than under the current ETOPS rules. December 7, 2004 BCA ETOPS White Paper Appendix 14