The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has
granted ATR, the European manufacturer of turboprop aircraft,
“ETOPS 120 minutes” certification of its new '-600' series ATR
aircraft.
This ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Performance
Standards) certification means that the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600
versions can now fly with one engine, as far as 120 flight minutes
from any airport at which they can land.
“ETOPS 120” allows
aircraft to provide direct links between airports located at
maximum distances equaling four flight hours - two hours maximum
flight time from the departure airport, plus two hours maximum
flight time to the closest airport where to land safely.
The ATR 42 and ATR 72 are the only regional turboprop
aircraft to hold this 120-minutes certification, which is very
important for air networks, such as in French Polynesia or
Siberia, where the distances between the two closest airports can
be up to 2,000 kilometers.
EASA
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