Editing Airbus A330 (section)

==Operational history==
Airbus intended the A330 to compete in the [[ETOPS|Extended-range Twin-engine Operation Performance Standards]] (ETOPS) market, specifically with the Boeing 767.{{sfn|Wensveen|2007|p=65}} (ETOPS is a standard that allows longer range flights away from a diversion airport for aircraft that have met special design and testing standards.) Instead of the "ETOPS out of the box" or "Early ETOPS" approach taken by Boeing with its 777,{{efn|This meant that the Boeing 777 was certified for 180-minutes ETOPS from the first day of service. As a result, the aircraft could be 180&nbsp;minutes (3&nbsp;hours) of flying time from a diversionary airport during transoceanic services.}} Airbus gradually increased ETOPS approval on the A330 using in-service experience. Airbus suggested that the A340 and the A330 were essentially identical except for their engine number, and that the A340's experience could be applied to the A330's ETOPS approval.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pandey |first=Mohan |title=How Boeing Defied the Airbus Challenge |publisher=CreateSpace |date=2010 |location= North Charleston, South Carolina| isbn=978-1-4505-0113-2 |pages=71–72}}</ref> The plans were for all three engine types to enter service with 90-minute approval, before increasing to 120 minutes after the total A330 fleet accumulated 25,000 flight hours, and then to 180 minutes after 50,000 flight hours, in 1995.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner|2001|p=81}}{{efn|After a total of 25,000 airborne hours, the A330 would be allowed a maximum of 120&nbsp;minutes (2&nbsp;hours) of flight time from a diversionary airport. After 50,000 hours, the limit would be raised to 180&nbsp;minutes (3&nbsp;hours).}} [[Aer Lingus]] and Cathay Pacific were two important airlines assisting Airbus in this endeavour by building up in-service flight hours on over-ocean flights.{{sfn|Cole|2000|pages=37, 41}} In November 2009, the A330 became the first aircraft to receive ETOPS–240 approval, which has since been offered by Airbus as an option.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/a330-is-first-airliner-to-be-certified-for-etops-beyond-180-minutes/|title=A330 is first airliner to be certified for ETOPS 'beyond 180 minutes' |publisher=Airbus S.A.S. |date=12 November 2009 |access-date=2 July 2011|archive-date=3 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003091832/http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/a330-is-first-airliner-to-be-certified-for-etops-beyond-180-minutes/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{as of|2024|9}}, the global A330 fleet of 1,471 aircraft had 12 years average aircraft age (≈2.5 years for A330neo), opened more than 350 new city pairs since the launch of the [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner|Boeing 787]] in 2011, and accumulated more than 65 million flight hours since its entry into service with 99.2% operational reliability.<ref name="A330_2022file">{{cite news |orig-date=30 September 2024 |title=A330 FAMILY: POWERING INTO THE FUTURE |url=https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2024-10/Airbus-A330-Family-Facts-and-Figures-October%202024.pdf |publisher=Airbus}}</ref>