U.S. close to rule on long haul flights

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is close to finalizing a measure that will let twin-engine jetliners on long-haul flights take more direct routes over water and the polar region, the top U.S. aviation regulator said on Wednesday.

The regulation, in the works for three years, would permit all planes outside U.S. air space to fly further from emergency airports than currently allowed, saving fuel and time.

The initiative would also enable airlines to replace aging and costly four-engine planes with more efficient twin-engine models like the Boeing 777.

"I think you will see it puts an end the two engines versus four debate and it does make possible planning for a high degree of reliability and safety," Marion Blakey, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, told the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit in Washington.

U.S. regulators have spent the past two decades issuing waivers to rules that govern how far twin-engine aircraft can fly from emergency airports. The changes in the works now would standardize procedures for the first time.

Blakey would not disclose details of the rule, which is being finalized with the White House budget office. But she did say that she does not anticipate substantive changes to the plan that would cover airlines and charter operators.

When it was proposed in 2003, the FAA said all planes should be able to reach an airport within four hours, compared to the current requirement of nearly three-and-a-half hours.

About 30,000 flights per month worldwide fall under the standard. The majority of flights over the North Atlantic and a growing number of flights over the Pacific operate with two-engine aircraft.

Advances in engine technology and cockpit communications and improvements in on-board fire suppression systems and emergency procedures permit the changes without compromising safety, Blakey said.

For instance, Blakey said fuel saving technology, precise flight planning and routing make a requirement that aircraft carry large fuel reserves on long-haul flights outdated.

Long haul emergencies have involved planes low on fuel; those that have lost engine power or been struck by birds or lightning. One aircraft flew through a volcanic ash cloud in Alaska and dust damaged all of the engines.