FAA Certifies ERJ 190 for 120-Minute ETOPS

The FAA has certified the Embraer ERJ 190 for 120 minute ETOPS (extended-range twin-engine operations).  Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) previously certified this third member of the E-Jets family in February.

The ETOPS-120 rating enables the ERJ 190 to fly routes that make use of diversion airports up to 120 minutes from the planned route, which means the aircraft can fly longer distances over oceans and other remote areas, thereby increasing its operational range.  This new capability is already being used on regular Air Niugini flights connecting Papua New Guinea and Australia.

The ERJ 190's first ETOPS certification was for 75 minutes.  Embraer says this new 120-minute approval is not merely an extension of the previous limit, but it also involved meeting a series of more demanding requirements. The Embraer jet is the first in the world to comply with the new rules established by Appendix K, Part 25, of the FAA's regulations, according to Embraer.  05-05-2008.

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