Allied Pilots Association (APA)

Extending ETOPS diversion time to 207 minutes, then to 240 minutes. At 207 minutes, no diversion airports are needed between Anchorage and northern Japan. At 240 minutes, there would be no need for diversion airports along any over-water or arctic route flown by anyone today. The final extension of ETOPS diversion time would be to "unlimited," meaning that no diversion airports are needed for twin-engine operations anywhere in the world, including over extremely hostile and remote areas with no suitable landing fields whatsoever — such as vast areas of Siberia, the Arctic and the Antarctic. If APA would drop its opposition to this plan, and simply rely on GE or Rolls Royce to get our pilots and passengers to their destinations no matter what happens over the ocean or the ice cap, AMR could save some money using "least-fuel" routings for twin-engine jets. You and your passengers take the risks, and AMR counts the money.

These are just a few of the decisions with major career implications AMR is trying to pressure APA’s leadership into caving in on right now, just as they are trying to pressure your pilot representatives into quietly acquiescing to the damaging precedent set by the Reno Air Scope violation.

Allied Pilots Association - Special Report - March 15, 1999