EDTO: What Are Extended Diversion Time Operations?

Summary EDTO regulations were created for planes with two or more engines flying over remote areas to ensure safety during emergencies. Threshold time was established to determine the need for EDTO certification based on emergency landing proximity. All airlines and aircraft must seek EDTO approval from regulators for extended routes through remote areas with no en-route alternate airport within 60-minute proximity.

Modern twin-engine airliners are capable of covering great distances, like crossing the Atlantic Ocean. However, a major concern arose about what would happen if one of the engines failed and no nearby airport was available for an emergency landing. This issue led aviation regulators around the world to question the safety of twin-engine planes flying over vast oceans.

In response, a set of regulations and approvals known as ETOPS and later EDTO have been established. EDTO origin and definition According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) , EDTO, or Extended Diversion Time Operations, is "any operation by an aeroplane with two or more turbine engines where the diversion time to an en-route alternate aerodrome is greater than the threshold time established by the State of the Operator." Simply put, this explains the rules and guidelines for planes with two or more engines on routes that are more than 60 minutes away from an emergency landing airport.

EDTO was formerly known as ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards).