Originally Posted by
Probe
No. That is a long told myth.
Sorry dude, west coast to HI is the longest ETOPS segment in the world, no options, no alternates. The only other region that I know that comes close is New Zealand to Antarctica, specifically McMurdo, and that is not flown commercially.
The Pacific, even in the remotest regions, has legions of small islands and atolls that have runways and work as emergency diverts. You are still dispatched ETOPS for these areas as they may not be suitable.
HI islands is still the design and certification point. The longer ETOPS rules only enable more efficient routings in the other regions of the Pacific--for that matter the Atlantic too.