910 ETOPS

This episode:

ETOPS flights could be impacted by the closing of an airport on a tiny South Pacific island.

FAA rescinds Cessna Citation single-pilot exemptions.

Heart Aerospace unveils the ES-36 hybrid-electric 30-seat regional commercial aircraft and JSX purchase agreement for up to 100 aircraft.

A Congressman questions the FAA deployment of the Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (“SMART”).

The Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board determined that incorrectly positioned variable vanes caused the F-16 crash in December 2025.

A Boeing 737 MAX software glitch could disrupt a navigation feature.

Boom Supersonic loses the launch customer for their land-based Superpower stationary powerplant.

And pilots are accused of being in a “club” of furry fetishists.

Aviation News

Midway Atoll’s Airport Has No Flights, But Its Closure Could Disrupt Airlines Worldwide

Midway Atoll Airport (MDY) in the South Pacific, also known as Henderson Field, is a public airport on Sand Island. Midway Atoll is a 2.4-square-mile unincorporated territory of the United States. With a 7,800-foot runway, the airport primarily serves as an emergency diversion point for transpacific flights. The DOT estimates that the airport needs at least $100 million to stay certified. The Airline Dispatchers Federation (ADF) opposes closing Midway Atoll Airport because it will affect airline operations across the Pacific.

ETOPS ratings (“Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) apply to twin-engine jets and specify how many minutes a plane is allowed to fly on a single engine to get to the nearest suitable diversion point. The FAA grants approval for each airframe-engine combination and again to each operator, based on its maintenance and dispatch program.

The ETOPS rating process is informal. The FAA grants two separate approvals, one for the design and one for the operator, and both are needed before an airline can fly a route:

Type design approval (Aircraft Certification Service)

The manufacturer shows that a specific airframe-and-engine combination is suitable for extended diversions. It involves:

Design and systems review. The FAA assesses ETOPS-significant systems such as fuel, electrical, hydraulic, APU, cargo fire suppression, and pressurization for redundancy and their ability to keep working through the maximum diversion time, including time-limited systems.

Propulsion system reliability. Assess in-flight shutdown (IFSD) rates and the engine’s overall service record. For new engine/airframe combinations without an in-service history, an early or accelerated ETOPS relies on design assessment, testing, and a demonstrated reliability program instead of accumulated fleet hours.

The Configuration, Maintenance, and Procedures (CMP) document defines the required airplane configuration, maintenance tasks, and operating procedures that an ETOPS-approved airplane must follow.

Operational approval (Flight Standards)

Type design approval doesn’t let any airline fly ETOPS routes. Each operator must be authorized through its FAA certificate-holding district office (CHDO). The airline must show that it can:

Maintain the airplane to the CMP standard, with an ETOPS maintenance program, ETOPS-qualified maintenance personnel, and procedures such as verifying critical systems after work and monitoring reliability.

Dispatch properly, including selecting ETOPS alternate airports with suitable weather and services, and planning for time-limited systems, fuel, and diversion scenarios.

Train crews and dispatchers on ETOPS procedures.

Conduct a validation process, which for new operators or new airplane types may include proving or validation flights.

The FAA conducts ongoing oversight and monitors IFSDs and other events that could affect ETOPS. It can restrict or revoke an approval if reliability degrades.

For detailed ETOPS information, including EDTO (Extended Diversion Time Operations), see How Do Planes Fly Over