The Airbus A330-300, equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700s, will have to have several months of reliability exhibited before the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) restores 180min extended-range twin-engined operations (ETOPS) clearance for the aircraft.
The Trent-powered variant became the last of the three A330ss to be cleared by the JAA for 180min ETOPS, in May 1996, but this has now been reduced to 120min because of engine problems experienced on the aircraft.
The JAA says that it downgraded the ETOPS approval for the Trent 700-powered A330 in May. This followed the grounding of aircraft operated by Cathay Pacific because of bearing failures in the Hispano Suiza-built step-aside gearbox. R-R quickly introduced a modification to solve the problem, and the A330s were returned to service in early June.
Joel André, the JAA's A330/A340 programme manager in France's civil-aviation authority, the DGAC, explains that the reliability of the Trent-powered aircraft will now have to be re-established: "It will now have to be proved, through in-service experience over the next few months, that the modifications have solved the problem, before 180min clearance is restored", he says.
Although there are no European operators of the Trent-powered A330, the fact that Airbus is European-based makes the JAA the lead authority for certification issues on the A330.
R-R says that the gearbox modifications are now working as planned and, although it acknowledges the importance of re-establishing 180min ETOPS, stresses that the A330/Trent suspension does not have any major impact on the current operators.
"Obviously we are keen to have the 180min approval restored," says the engine manufacturer adding that it understands that only one route operated by Cathay actually requires ETOPS clearance greater than 120min.
Source: Flight International
