I’d dismiss this story as nonsense had it not been published by reliable 
sources, rather than Simpleton Flying.

It still doesn’t make sense. United didn’t do anything like this when they 
started flying the 737 MAX most of the way across the Atlantic. Neither did 
JetBlue with their A321 flying to Europe.

ETOPS-proving might make sense, except AA already has 180-minute ETOPS on the 
A321 (for Hawaii)β€”and it didn’t stop them from flying a non-ETOPS A321 to 
Hawaii a decade ago:

https://onemileatatime.com/oops-american-accidentally-flies-wrong-plane-to-hawaii/
 
<https://onemileatatime.com/oops-american-accidentally-flies-wrong-plane-to-hawaii/>

This whole thing baffles me.

 -- Karl


> On Sep 25, 2025, at 9:45 PM, Tom Ronell via Mifnet <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> They have to gain ETOPS approval for the new aircraft type. Didn't Southwest 
> have to do same when initiating Hawaii flights? 
> 
> TR 
> From: Mike Borfitz via Mifnet <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected]
> CC: Mike Borfitz <[email protected]>
> Date: 2025-09-26T02:41:26Z
> Subject: [Mifnet πŸ›° 74325] Re: AA empty flights
> 
> It could be ETOPS proving or validation unless they already have it. Does 
> anybody know if AA has that approval?
> 
> Mike Borfitz
> 
> 
> On Thu, Sep 25, 2025, 10:02β€―PM ERIC Smith via Mifnet <[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: 
> I ran across this somewhere else but dismissed it as just another one of 
> those things I don't understand about the decisions my employer makes. It may 
> have something to do with ETOPS qualification rather than training. I'll see 
> if I can find something more about it. 
>  
> Eric
>> On 09/25/2025 4:54 PM EDT Jack Keady via Mifnet <[email protected] 
>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>  
>>  
>> keady - article in Smart News or Simple Flying said American was flying 
>> empty flights between Philly and Madrid in order to train/qualify pilots for 
>> the new XLR narrow body.
>>  
>> Can't all this be done in simulators/classrooms/check rides on existing over 
>> water flights?
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>> Revised: 20250507 
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