Based on the early success of the Montreal route

 Based on the first success of the Montreal route, El Al added more ETOPS flights subsequent year offering 767ER service on the subsequent routes:


Tel Aviv – Amsterdam – Chicago – l. a. (LAX)

Tel Aviv – Amsterdam – Montreal

Tel Aviv — Amsterdam – ny (JFK) – Miami

El Al's early transatlantic routes were groundbreaking. Credit: line Mapper

El Al’s early transatlantic routes were groundbreaking – Image: line Mapper


Ultimately, the airline would achieve 120-minute ETOPS approval, allowing more flexible routings on the North Atlantic runs.


El Al’s achievement was groundbreaking – both technologically and psychologically. There was tons of resistance to the thought of twin-engine oceanic flights some time past – from the International Federation of Airline Pilots (IFALPA) to former FAA Administrator Lynn Helms. Ultimately, technology – and economics – would prevail.


TWA was quick to follow El Al's ETOPS example. Credit: Ralf Manteufel -- Wikimedia Commons

TWA was quick to follow El Al’s ETOPS example – Photo: Ralf Manteufel | Wikimedia Commons


El Al’s exploits were closely monitored by other airlines, wanting to take advantage on the favorable twin-engine economics. TWA had ten 767s on order at the time, and was working with the FAA to secure 120-minute ETOPS authority, which might leave more direct routings from its St. Louis hub. TWA launched trans-Atlantic ETOPS flights the subsequent year on its Boston – Paris route and would continue to create a network of 767 routes from St. Louis and ny (JFK) hubs. American and Air Canada were quick to follow. The floodgates were opening.


Air Canada quickly sought ETOPS certification for its 767s also . Credit: Michel Gilliand – Wikimedia Commons

Air Canada quickly sought ETOPS certification for its 767s also – Photo: Michel Gilliand | Wikimedia Commons


Today, the overwhelming majority of flights across oceans are performed by twin-engine airplanes. Few were the visionaries who could foresee that development within the early 1980s, when the very notion of twins across the ocean was controversial. But the contemporary dominance of twin-engine intercontinental flight happened only through three decades of patient, deliberate development in commercial ETOPS operations – punctuated by the bold exploits of a couple of early movers. So, next time you board a 787 for Frankfurt or A350 to Hong Kong , you would possibly just tip your hat thereto plucky airline from Israel that started it all.


Not gonna lie - it would be great if El Al would do a heritage livery like this. Credit: Michel Gilliand – Wikimedia Commons

Not gonna lie – it’d be great if El Al would do a heritage livery like this – Photo: Michel Gilliand | Wikimedia Commons


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