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Aviation glossary

Twin-engine aircraft

Also: twinjet, twin, twin-engined aircraft

The aircraft

Aircraft powered by two engines, now the dominant layout in airline service thanks to the reliability of modern engines.

What it is

For decades, long flights over oceans were reserved for three- and four-engined aircraft, because the rules kept twins within a set flying time of an airport where they could land after an engine failure. The growing reliability of turbofans made ETOPS operations possible, and many twins can now fly several hours from the nearest suitable airport.

Two engines burn less fuel and cost less to maintain than three or four, so twins have almost entirely displaced trijets and quads in new deliveries. The Boeing 777 and 787 and the Airbus A330 and A350 now fly routes that once called for a 747 or an A340. Because a twin must be able to complete a take-off after losing an engine at the critical moment, it has thrust to spare in normal operation, which gives it a strong rate of climb.

On Vuelopedia

An aircraft record on Vuelopedia shows the model and number of its engines.

Boeing 777 Airbus A350 XWB

Related terms

Four-engine aircraftAircraft powered by four engines, the classic layout for large long-haul airliners before twins took over those routes. ETOPSRules that let twin-engine aircraft fly routes far from suitable diversion airports, up to a maximum one-engine flying time approved for each aircraft type and airline. TurbofanJet engine in which a large front fan drives air around the core, producing most of the thrust with greater efficiency and less noise. ThrustForce produced by an engine as it accelerates air or exhaust gas rearwards, pushing the aircraft forward in reaction. V1, VR and V2Reference speeds calculated for every take-off: V1, the decision speed; VR, the rotation speed; and V2, the safety speed for climbing with an engine out.
Whole glossary

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Twin-engine aircraft. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft

MLA

“Twin-engine aircraft.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Twin-engine aircraft.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Twin-engine aircraft. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft (Accessed: 19 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_twin_engine_aircraft,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Twin-engine aircraft}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-19},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-19}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/twin-engine-aircraft |title=Twin-engine aircraft |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-19 |language=en}}

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