Sir - The article on the British Airways Boeing 777 General Electric GE90 delivery date and extended twinjet operations (ETOPS) certification (Flight International, 6-12 September, P4) makes me feel uncomfortable.
ETOPS, I am told, is a means by which a two-engine aircraft can be flown over water. The engines on such an aircraft should have been proved to be reliable and to have a low in-flight shutdown rate. Because the history of the GE90 is full of engineering changes and problems, I feel uncomfortable with it being used in an over water role.
If an accident should happen over water with a GE90-powered 777, it would probably mean the end of any over-water flying by twin-engine aircraft, which would affect the industry worldwide. Is this risk acceptable to the US Federal Aviation Administration?
PIET VOS
Eldim, Netherlands
Source: Flight International
