HELLO AGAIN

EASA FUEL RULES

Once upon a time, in a land very nearby, the Great Lord EASA made a proclamation…

“Hear ye, hear ye, operators who live in the land of EU! From this day forth* , you shalt use the new Fuel Rules or you shalt nd
yourselves smited or something equally bad!”

*Some day in 2022

Welcome to *the most boring book ever (mostly because I waste lazy to add pictures)

This is about the (not so) new (anymore) EASA fuel rules. The ones that came into force in 2022, but which a whole lot of us
secretly aren’t 100% sure we’re 100% sure on them still.

They are sort of like that guy you know you’ve met three or four times, and you’ve been told their name and think it might be
Alan, or Alex, or maybe Albert but you’ve met him too many times and have left it way to late to ask again…

Albert the Gas Pump. Anyone else nd this slightly wrong looking?
This is the only picture in here, unless you could a table of numbers, or a weirder table I made myself at the end.
fi
fi
 Introduction: Actually, it’s not
Don’t worry, it really isn’t.

EASA are still running super helpful Webinars, and if you head to their website you can submit questions and get answers. Or
you can catch their most recent webinar on it here.

But in case you don’t have time for that, I watched it for you (well, the rst bit) and gured this might help.

This ‘post’ is divided into 3 sections:

• Straight in with some facts and gures, because I know from reading ‘Cooking Blogs’ how irritating it is to have to scroll 700
miles to nd anything remotely useful like a recipe
• From the start, summed up really brie y. In case you need it.
• Useful Stuff from the Webinar. If that is all you want/need/can be bothered to read.
•

Chapter 1: Facts n Figures

(Take ‘em away and eat them up straight away)

“Only select an aerodrome as 1) a take-off alternate or 2) destination if weather +/-1 hour is at or above landing minima, and
only select an aerodrome from 1) destination alternate, 2) fuel ERA aerodrome or 3) isolate aerodrome is +/-1 hour… above
plannng minima.”

There’s a difference in what to use. Just thought I’d point it out.

(A table for if you are on the BASIC scheme. Add in variations and this looks different, so make sure you know which scheme
you are on!)
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
 Chapter 2: Read from here if
you want to start at the start
OK, let’s get the basics down.

What are the rules all about?

The new rules are looking to provide a 'balanced approach to operator fuel policies', with the aim of more ef cient fuel/energy
management. Basically, they want to make fuel stuff more ef cienter and safe.

The schemes rely on 3 things:

• Comprehensive, accurate and where possible predictive pre- ight planning. In other words better planning to try and
avoid low fuel situations, rather than leaving your crew to ‘manage it’ (by it we mean bad planning).
• Proactive in- ight fuel management: 30/60 minute review and recording intervals. Trying to prevent those low fuel
situations by making sure crew are monitoring and recording
• Pre-emptive ight crew action to protect nal reserve fuel (FRSV): Crew must know what this means so they can you
guessed it, prevent (and if they fail at that) know how best to manage low fuel situations.

What it all means, exactly?

Well, if you’re an EASA registered operator, then it means some changes to your dispatch planning, and to how you monitor
and record your fuel burn.

And the plans?

Ah yes, there are three of them, and you can pick which to use (or a combo of the two basic ones) depending on what your
monitoring, reviewing etc situation is.

There are three schemes - basic, basic with variations and individual. The big differences are really with the contingency fuel -
the use of 5%, or 3% or STATCON, or something you’ve determined yourself because you have a really in-depth fuel and safety
monitoring program in place that you’ve been using for years…

The Basic and Basic+V require little extra from operators (Basic+V requires some changes to ERA and consumption monitoring
programs), and are effectively what you are probably used to.

The Individual scheme has many more requirements. If you know what they are you don’t need me telling you so I will stick to
the basics instead.

For more information on this, check out the EASA website here, which links to the regulatory material.
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
fi
 Regulatory Material? Tell me more.

The of cial regulatory framework is in CAT.OP.MPA 185 ( ight and fuel management), 180 (planning) and 182 (alternates).

AMC 1,2 and 3 contain information on the fuel procedures

The Guidance (GM) documents contain info on data recording, delay info and minimum fuel and FRSV protection.

ICAO Doc 9976 Flight Planning and Fuel Management is a handy one to read as well.

What do I need to know about In- ight fuel/energy management?

The schemes rely on 'continued validation of planning assumptions'. In other words, plan well, monitor even better, and if it
starts to look ‘not ok', then think about how to x it early on!

“Plan Do Check Act”

For crew to do this, they need reliable delay information. GM1 talks about integrity, availability, accuracy and continuity which
sounds great, but is possibly better put as ‘don’t BS your crew. Give them something decent to work with!’

Put it how you like, but make sure your crew have a decent plan, and know how to monitor, review and adjust the planned
pro le if and when they need to.

• Recording: GM provides guidance on the frequency of checks (30 minute for short ights, 60 minutes for longer ights).
ACARS/automatic recording is allowed, but doesn't remove the requirement for crew to continuing analysing the data.
• Checking: Crew should continually check and review their fuel requirements, and factors which might impact it.
• Reporting: Crew should report when in a Minimum Fuel situation, or a MAYDAY fuel situation.
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
 Chapter 3: Read from here if
you’ve got the basics, and want
to dig in deeper
The new Fuel Rules really are about better planning. Management and FRSV protection. Three things to focus on.

What do my crew need to know about Protecting FRSV?

This is the responsibility of the crew in- ight, but there is a BIG responsibility on the operator to ensure the pre- ight planning
supports this as well. I am just going to emphasise that one more time.

Crew must understand the de nitions in order to act:

• Safe Landing: De ned in Annex 1, 104a. ‘Safe landing' means doing it at an adequate airport with not less than FRSV,
and in compliance with SOPs and operating minimas.
• Adequate Aerodrome: An aerodrome at which an aircraft can land, taking into account applicable performance
requirements and runway characteristics.
• Minimum Fuel: Where an aircraft is committed to land at a speci c aerodrome, with no other safe landing option
available, and where any change to the existing clearance may result in landing with less than FRSV.
◦ Diverting to an alternate, Holding for the destination, Approaching a destination without an alternate
◦ No priority handling, only ATC awareness
• Mayday Fuel: Unable to reach an aerodrome and land safely, with FRSV intact.
◦ Declare when it is clear a landing with less than FRSV is required
◦ Receive priority handling

Some further explanations, answers and insights.

These are all based off questions asked during the recent webinar.

• SCD fuel (discretionary) fuel: This is at the discretion of the commander, and must appear explicitly on a ight plan, and
not be included in Extra or Additional Fuel
• Basic/Basic+V: Wind Gusts must be included in the planning. All planning minma now have xed increments
• Planning Minima vs Landing minima: Planning minima has a xed increment added on. Landing minima is the minima
as per the charts. Know the difference
• Basic Scheme Planning Minima: Based on Type A and Type B approaches.
◦ Type A: DA/H+200' (ceiling - cloud base or vertical visibility), RVR/VIS +800m
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fl
fl
 ◦ Type B: DA/H or MDA/H+400', RVR/VIS +1500m
◦ Circling: MDA/H+400', VIS +1500m
• ETOPS, ERAs: Table 1 (AMC 3, 182) provides details on the use of TAFs during planning.
◦ Planning for these must take into account TEMPO, PROB30, PROB40 and any other persistent conditions forecast
◦ These are normally disregarded for destination aerodrome planning
◦ It applies to ceiling, visibility and wind (mean wind is used)
• Fuel Recording: Where operating over an area where waypoints are space at intervals greater than 30/60 minutes,
exibility on fuel recording is allowed. Crew should continue to check fuel at regular intervals though.
• Destination Alternates: An IFR ight must have at least one destination alternate speci ed on the ight plan, unless:
◦ The safety margins for Met conditions and planning minima (MPA 182) cannot be met, or if not met info is
available. Then 2 are required.
◦ No alternate is required if:
▪ The aerodrome is isolated, or
▪ The duration of the ight is less than 6 hours and 2 separate useable runways are available at the
destination and the weather reports +/- 1 hour ETA indicate the ceiling is at least 2 000 ft (600 m) or the
circling height 500 ft (150 m), whichever is greater, and ground visibility is at least 5 km.

Chapter 4: Some useful bits

Things that might be helpful if you need more info.

EASA AMC and GM to part CAT v20

ECA Brie ng

A Summary
A) Plan properly. Use the new increments, make sure everyone understands what fuel scheme you’re on. Know when you need
destination alternates, en-route alternates and make sure you use the right planning stuff.

B) Monitor in ight, and record it every 30/60 minutes. Encourage your crew to do this with decent fuel management policies.

C) Protect that nal reserve. Make sure crew know the de nitions and understand when to use a minimum fuel or a mayday
fuel call. And help them not end up in these situations by doing A) and B) right.
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
Appendix. In Case they need
help with C)…
You have no fuel left? MAYDAY!

You are going to still be in the air

MAYDAY!
when you get into FRSV?

You have a safe landing option,

Minimum fuel
but only if nothing changes?

Request an ETA and do some math

You are running tight, but aren’t
Try not to commit without more
sure how tight?
info

Suck it up! (But keep checking the

You are bored of holding and
fuel and situation. And if you’re
want to finish and go home?
fatigued then say something!)

You are several hours away from Fix it! Shortcuts, directs, more efficient
destination and fuel is looking lower speed, conserve your fuel and check
that you’d like? the weather and en-route options.

You have plenty of fuel and Don’t get cocky! Monitor, record,
options? review. Know what to do if it changes!