FO-11 · ETOPS / EDTO Operations Management

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Process Flow Diagram (BPMN)

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L4 Process Steps

Step	Step Name	Role / Swim Lane	System	Input	Output	KPI	Dec?	Exc?
Phase 1 1.1	Verify ETOPS route approval in OpSpecs	Flight Dispatcher	NAVBLUE Flight Planning	Planned route, aircraft registration, OpSpec C057 reference	ETOPS route authorization confirmed; approved diversion time threshold recorded	100% of ETOPS-routed flights pre-validated against OpSpecs before release	Y	N
1.2	Confirm aircraft ETOPS certification level	Flight Dispatcher	AMOS by Swiss AviationSoftware	Aircraft registration, current maintenance release status	ETOPS certification level confirmed (e.g. 120 / 180 / 240 min) and recorded against flight	Zero ETOPS departures without valid airworthiness certificate and ETOPS approval on record	N	Y
Phase 2 2.1	Retrieve ETOPS alternate airport weather forecasts	Flight Dispatcher / Meteorologist	Honeywell GoDirect Weather	Planned ETOPS alternate list, estimated departure time, flight duration	TAF and METAR reports for all alternates within ETOPS diversion circle	Weather data currency ≤1 hour before departure; TAF coverage ≥18 hours ahead of ETP crossing	N	N
2.2	Validate ETOPS alternate airport operational status	Flight Dispatcher	Honeywell GoDirect / SITA NOTAM Service	Alternate airport list, current NOTAM bulletins, AIP supplements	Alternate availability confirmed, or replacement alternate identified and approved	100% alternate validation completed ≥2 hours before scheduled departure	Y	Y
2.3	Calculate Equal Time Point and Point of No Return	Flight Dispatcher / Flight Planner	NAVBLUE Flight Planning	Approved route, winds aloft model, alternate coordinates, single-engine cruise speed profile	ETP and PNR coordinates, fuel checkpoint waypoints, go/no-go decision gates embedded in OFP	ETP calculation within ±2 nm of independent manual cross-check; PNR fuel state verified against aircraft performance tables	N	N
Phase 3 3.1	Review ETOPS significant systems maintenance status	Maintenance Controller / Line Maintenance Engineer	AMOS by Swiss AviationSoftware	Aircraft tech log, ETOPS significant systems check sheet, MEL Part B (ETOPS items)	ETOPS airworthiness assessment: all significant systems serviceable or MEL-permissible deferred	ETOPS maintenance check completed ≥90 min before scheduled departure; zero open ETOPS-critical MEL items at release	Y	Y
3.2	Obtain dual maintenance and operations ETOPS release	Certifying Engineer / Flight Operations Manager	AMOS by Swiss AviationSoftware	Completed tech log, ETOPS significant systems sign-off sheet, dispatcher release	Dual-signed ETOPS flight release stamped in aircraft tech log and ops system	100% of ETOPS flights have both maintenance certification and dispatcher release before pushback	N	Y
Phase 4 4.1	Calculate ETOPS fuel requirements	Flight Dispatcher / Fuel Planner	NAVBLUE Flight Planning	ETP coordinates, alternate distances, holding requirements, single-engine fuel burn curves, ETOPS contingency rule (FAR 121 Appendix P / ICAO Annex 6)	ETOPS fuel plan: trip fuel + ETOPS reserve + contingency fuel + alternate fuel + final reserve	ETOPS fuel uplift within ±2% of planned quantity; zero short-fuel departures	N	N
4.2	Validate ETOPS fuel load against MTOW constraints	Flight Dispatcher	NAVBLUE Flight Planning / Amadeus Altéa DCS	ETOPS fuel plan, passenger count, cargo manifest, zero-fuel weight	Approved fuel load with weight-and-balance confirmation; payload trim decision if required	Zero overweight departures; fuel optimised within 500 kg of minimum legal ETOPS load	Y	Y
4.3	File ETOPS-annotated ATC flight plan via AFTN	Flight Dispatcher	NAVBLUE / SITA AFTN Gateway	Approved ETOPS fuel plan, route with ETP waypoints, alternate airports	ATC flight plan filed with ETOPS notation in ICAO Item 18 TBE field; ACK confirmation received	Flight plan filed and acknowledged ≥60 min before scheduled departure; zero unacknowledged plans at departure	N	N
Phase 5 5.1	Monitor ETOPS significant systems via ACARS / SATCOM	NOC Dispatcher / Flight Follower	SITA ACARS / Honeywell GoDirect Flight	In-flight ACARS position reports, engine health data (EHM), crew SATCOM check-ins	Real-time ETOPS systems status log; alert flags raised for any significant system degradation	ACARS position report receipt ≤15 min intervals on oceanic tracks; 100% engine health message coverage	N	Y
5.2	Update ETOPS alternate weather at ETP crossings	Flight Dispatcher / Meteorologist	Honeywell GoDirect Weather	Inflight position reports, ETP waypoint schedule, updated TAF / SIGMET bulletins	Go / No-Go weather assessment for each alternate at projected ETP crossing time	Weather reassessment delivered to flight crew ≤30 min before each ETP; 100% ETP coverage on all ETOPS sectors	Y	Y
5.3	Assess engine or system anomaly for divert decision	Flight Dispatcher / Captain (PIC)	SITA ACARS / Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro (EFB)	Engine health alerts, ECAM / EICAS messages reported via SATCOM, crew deviation report	Divert decision (continue to destination or proceed to ETOPS alternate); amended routing filed with ATC	Divert decision communicated within ≤15 min of anomaly detection; ATC re-clearance obtained within ≤20 min	Y	Y
Phase 6 6.1	Complete ETOPS post-flight operational report	Flight Dispatcher / Flight Operations Manager	AMOS by Swiss AviationSoftware / Airline OpsControl	Flight data recorder summary, ACARS message logs, crew debrief notes, maintenance findings	ETOPS post-flight report compliant with FAR 121.374 / ICAO Doc 10085 Appendix; filed in ops system	Report filed within 24 hours of landing; 100% compliance rate on regulatory audit cycle	N	N
6.2	Update ETOPS reliability programme and IFSD database	Flight Safety Manager / Airworthiness Manager	AMOS / Aviation Safety Action Programme (ASAP) Portal	ETOPS post-flight report, in-flight significant system events, maintenance findings, IFSD occurrences	Updated ETOPS reliability metrics report; IFSD rate trend; corrective action initiated if threshold exceeded	In-Flight Shutdown (IFSD) rate ≤0.02 per 1,000 engine hours (ETOPS-180 regulatory threshold); reliability report issued within 30 days of each reporting period	Y	Y

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Process Attributes

Identification

Process IDFO-11

L1 DomainFlight Operations

L2 ProcessNetwork Operations Control

L3 NameETOPS / EDTO Operations Management

L4 Steps15 across 6 phases

Decision Gates7 (all with iteration loops)

Exceptions9 documented

Swim Lanes (Roles)

Flight Dispatcher

Flight Dispatcher / Meteorologist

Flight Dispatcher / Flight Planner

Maintenance Controller / Line Maintenance Engineer

Certifying Engineer / Flight Operations Manager

Flight Dispatcher / Fuel Planner

NOC Dispatcher / Flight Follower

Flight Dispatcher / Captain (PIC)

Flight Dispatcher / Flight Operations Manager

Flight Safety Manager / Airworthiness Manager

Systems & Tools

NAVBLUE Flight PlanningAMOS by Swiss AviationSoftwareHoneywell GoDirect WeatherHoneywell GoDirect / SITA NOTAM ServiceNAVBLUE Flight Planning / Amadeus Altéa DCSNAVBLUE / SITA AFTN GatewaySITA ACARS / Honeywell GoDirect FlightSITA ACARS / Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro (EFB)AMOS by Swiss AviationSoftware / Airline OpsControlAMOS / Aviation Safety Action Programme (ASAP) Portal

Key Performance Indicators

Verify ETOPS route approval in OpSpecs100% of ETOPS-routed flights pre-validated against OpSpecs before release

Confirm aircraft ETOPS certification levelZero ETOPS departures without valid airworthiness certificate and ETOPS approval on record

Retrieve ETOPS alternate airport weather forecastsWeather data currency ≤1 hour before departure; TAF coverage ≥18 hours ahead of ETP crossing

Validate ETOPS alternate airport operational status100% alternate validation completed ≥2 hours before scheduled departure

Calculate Equal Time Point and Point of No ReturnETP calculation within ±2 nm of independent manual cross-check; PNR fuel state verified against aircraft performance tables

Review ETOPS significant systems maintenance statusETOPS maintenance check completed ≥90 min before scheduled departure; zero open ETOPS-critical MEL items at release

Obtain dual maintenance and operations ETOPS release100% of ETOPS flights have both maintenance certification and dispatcher release before pushback

Calculate ETOPS fuel requirementsETOPS fuel uplift within ±2% of planned quantity; zero short-fuel departures

Airline-Specific Risks & Pain Points

OpSpec revisions under FAR 121.161 / ICAO Doc 10085 require 30-day authority lead time; last-minute network re-routing post-approval is operationally prohibited and forces costly re-planning

ETOPS certification can be suspended mid-rotation due to maintenance findings; AMOS aircraft status must be queried in real time — stale cache data in dispatch systems has caused near-misses on ETOPS eligibility checks

Remote oceanic alternates (e.g., NFFN Nadi, PGUM Guam, BIKF Keflavik) have sparse observation networks; TAF accuracy degrades beyond 12 hours, leaving critical ETP windows with low-confidence forecasts

NOTAM closure of a primary alternate (e.g., runway works at Honolulu's divert field) forces complete replanning; NOTAM parsing tools remain largely manual, and auto-filtering tools miss complex conditional NOTAMs issued by some Pacific island states

NAVBLUE wind model integration updates every 6 hours; stale wind data on long trans-oceanic sectors (>14 hr block) can shift ETP by up to 40 nm, materially affecting alternate fuel requirements and crew decision windows

ETOPS MEL (Minimum Equipment List) items differ substantively from standard MEL — APU, dual hydraulics, FADEC, SATCOM, and fire suppression must all be assessed against ETOPS-specific criteria; staff confusion on MMEL Part B boundaries generates repeated compliance queries and delays

Inputs / Outputs

Primary InputPlanned route, aircraft registration, OpSpec C057 reference

Primary OutputUpdated ETOPS reliability metrics report; IFSD rate trend; corrective action initiated if threshold exceeded

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