Originally Posted by
rickair7777
The A330 is a twin.
ETOPS (two engine over-water) flights are limited to something like three hours to a divert field (used to be two hours, but I think that changed for some operations).
Pacific long-haul operations require more than two engines for regulatory reasons, so the larger airplanes which are designed for that have four.
Why do people think that ETOPS means over water? Aircraft that operate from the middle east to west Africa are ALSO dispacted under ETOPs. Has NOTHING to do with being over water, just that aircraft may be on a route where a suitable field is outside the normal criteria and ETOPs dispatch is required.
What exactly is "pacific long haul"? Would you consider 12 hours "long haul"?
Both QA (A330) and AZ (777) operate non stop from LAX to AKL.