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A Commercial Air Transport Operator plans a flight over the North Atlantic with a two-engine, fully operational, Performance Class A aeroplane. ETOPS operational approval has been granted. The flight is full, with 180 passengers. Each point of the selected route must NOT be further away from…

  • A

    An available adequate en-route aerodrome meeting the required weather and operating planning minima at the anticipated time of landing and until 1 hour after, within a distance flown in 120 minutes at the One-Engine-Inoperative cruising speed.

  • B

    An available adequate en-route aerodrome meeting the required weather and operating planning minima at the anticipated time of landing and until 1 hour after, within the Operator's approved diversion time.

  • C

    An adequate en-route alternate aerodrome located within a distance flown in 120 minutes at the One-Engine-Inoperative cruising speed.

  • D

    An adequate en-route alternate aerodrome located within a distance flown in the Operator's approved diversion time.

Refer to figure.
Note: 120 minutes applies to take-off alternates for ETOPS. This question is asking about en-route alternate planning.

ETOPS planning is designed to ensure that any diversion can be completed. In order to do this, any possible en-route alternate must have weather that is forecast to meet the planning minima 'between the anticipated time of landing until one hour after the latest possible time of landing.'

Using the figure:

  • If you divert any time up to Point A: Return to the departure airfield or a suitable en-route alternate.
  • From Point A: ETOPS section starts. You divert to the alternate. This is the earliest you would arrive at the alternate.
  • If you divert at any time between Points A and B: You divert to the alternate.
  • At Point B: This is the latest you would divert to the alternate.

Any diversion airport must be within the Operator's approved ETOPS diversion time.

More information from: SPA.ETOPS.115 ETOPS en-route alternate aerodrome planning minima

(a) The operator shall only select an aerodrome as an ETOPS en-route alternate aerodrome when the appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or any combination thereof, indicate that, between the anticipated time of landing until one hour after the latest possible time of landing, conditions will exist at or above the planning minima calculated by adding the additional limits of Table 1.

(b) The operator shall include in the operations manual the method for determining the operating minima at the planned ETOPS en-route alternate aerodrome.

Table 1
Planning minima for the ETOPS en-route alternate aerodrome

Type of approachPlanning minima
Precision approachDA/H + 200 ft RVR/VIS + 800 m(1)
Non-precision approach or
Circling approach		MDA/H + 400 ft(1)
RVR/VIS + 1500 m

(1) VIS: visibility; MDA/H: minimum descent altitude/height.

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