If no alternate is listed on an international flight, what is the required fuel?

If no alternate is listed on an international flight, what is the required fuel?

• A. Fuel to destination plus 30 minutes
• B. Fuel to destination plus 2 hours
• C. Fuel to destination plus 1 hour
• D. Fuel to destination plus 2.5 hours

Answer: (B)

When planning fuel for international flights, you always include a contingency beyond the fuel needed to reach the destination. If no alternate airport is listed, the standard requirement is fuel to destination plus two hours. That extra two hours acts as a cushion for unforeseen holds, adverse weather, headwinds, or delays en route, and it ensures you have enough endurance without relying on an alternate. Fuel to destination plus 30 minutes is typically too small for international planning without an alternate, and adding only 1 hour doesn’t provide the commonly used contingency. Fuel to destination plus 2.5 hours is more than the standard requirement in this scenario, making it unnecessarily heavy.

When planning fuel for international flights, you always include a contingency beyond the fuel needed to reach the destination. If no alternate airport is listed, the standard requirement is fuel to destination plus two hours. That extra two hours acts as a cushion for unforeseen holds, adverse weather, headwinds, or delays en route, and it ensures you have enough endurance without relying on an alternate.

Fuel to destination plus 30 minutes is typically too small for international planning without an alternate, and adding only 1 hour doesn’t provide the commonly used contingency. Fuel to destination plus 2.5 hours is more than the standard requirement in this scenario, making it unnecessarily heavy.