ETOPS

So, you know, that route obviously is doing well enough for them.

Their E2s have got 120-minute ETOPS, which is something that them and Embraer are quite proud of, which is allowing them to optimize their routing between Mauritius and Cape Town, which again is coming up on seven-hour block time in some cases, but the E2 seems to have been doing that well.

Well, performing better at it than some of the older A320s have for SAAs.

So at least that's a point to note.

Just explain that to the listeners, Sean, about what that means, what the significance is.

Okay.

Well, ETOPS actually is an old term.

It's now called EDTA.

Yeah.

So for you ETOPS guys out there, possibly your pairings and lines as we get later into next year, they could certainly look different.

And here's an example of how and why.

A positive, though, on the ETOPS side is that we did add Burbank and Ontario as points out to the Hawaiian Islands, Honolulu in particular.

So that's a good sign.

One other thing I'd add on the ETOPS is the MAC-7, when it comes on, you know, late first quarter, early second quarter next year, soon after it shows up, will get put on the ETOPS certificate.

So you'll start to see some ETOPS flying on that as well.

Probably Phoenix and Vegas initially to overcome some of the operational difficulties we have out of that with warm weather.

The approval from the FAA for the 777X flight testing to the next step remains on hold.

The FAA said a couple of weeks ago that it needs to approve that mid-engine seal design before any of those major certification flights like ETOPS certification testing take place.

Boeing says, not a problem.

We're working through this.

So, job done.

Now we just have to wait until certification, ETOPS ticketing.

After that...

The airframes are coming along, but then when there are no engines, it slows the whole airframe production down.

Yeah, we do know that obviously the baseline flight testing for certification continues and it's well underway with the four principal development aircraft.

We also know that the long pole in the tent for certification on the 777-9 remains the clearance for ETOPS, Extended Range Operations Testing, with that.

And certification approval or approval from the FAA to begin that has not yet been received.

We know that.

They're assuming they won't have zero.

They will have zero aircraft and will have to continue flying their old fleet for the time being.

They're not, I mean, they are saying it's related to ETOPS- certification delays, but obviously there's only so much they can see themselves not being going.

Well, and I guess now to our final milestone, sort of an end of an era one a little bit.

because it relies

on the etops operations of the aircraft so extended twin engine operations as we know yeah and as we've mentioned in the past as an aircraft is designed and developed manufacturers such as boeing airbus or our primary two manufacturers and other and other manufacturers Well, now take into consideration ETOPS, meaning that the aircraft needs to be able to sustain endurance and performance on one engine, say that the one engine does have a failure or an issue, that it can divert to a suitable aerodrome safely.

So that can range from 120 minutes to over 300 minutes.

I think the Airbus A350 can fly for about over or just in six hours on one engine.

Damn.

So that's incredible performance.

So almost all of Zip Air and Japan Airline flights to Honolulu have Midway as their main ETOPS alternate airport.

Wait, that's huge because Japan Airlines has a mammoth Honolulu schedule.