What does the alternate plane mean?

Alternate, English for Divert, refers to the behavior of an aircraft landing at other airports because it cannot or should not fly to the scheduled landing airport, or it cannot land at the scheduled airport. This is a normal measure taken to ensure flight safety during aircraft operation.

Generally speaking, the reasons for the aircraft's alternate landing are route traffic control, the inability to fly around in a large area of thunderstorm, the closure of the scheduled landing airport, the weather conditions of the scheduled landing airport not meeting the landing standards, and some mechanical failures of the aircraft. For example, last summer, the strong typhoon "Meihua" approached Shanghai, causing some flights to alternate to airports such as Hangzhou; For another example, if one engine of a twin-engine passenger plane fails, the crew will choose to land at the alternate airport.

In order to ensure flight safety, the crew will determine the alternate airport of this flight before each take-off. Of course, when choosing an alternate airport, we should consider whether it meets the flight standards of the aircraft, such as whether the runway meets the take-off and landing requirements of the aircraft, whether it has the equipment to refuel the aircraft, whether the airport has the clearance conditions for the aircraft, whether the airlines have ground services at the airport, the airport fire rating and airport clearance.

Extended data:

There are many reasons for alternate landing, mainly including air traffic control, poor weather conditions, non-acceptance of scheduled landing airports, poor weather conditions at scheduled landing airports below landing standards, and aircraft failure.

In the "Eight Objections" issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China to ensure flight safety, it is clearly stated that "alternate landing" means that when landing conditions are not available for various reasons, the destination airport should land at the alternate airport, and flight safety should not be affected by blind forced landing. Alternate flight is a normal measure to ensure flight safety during aircraft operation.

Alternate airports are generally pre-selected before takeoff. Before each flight takes off, the flight plan signed by the captain on duty must specify at least one airport with suitable conditions as the destination alternate airport. When the weather standard of the take-off airport only meets the take-off requirements but not the landing requirements, the alternate airport should also include the take-off alternate field.

The alternate airport should consider whether it meets the flight standards of this type of aircraft, such as whether the runway meets the take-off and landing requirements of this type of aircraft, whether it has the refueling equipment of this type, whether the airport has the release conditions of this type of aircraft, whether the airlines have ground handling or agents at this airport, the airport fire protection level, and the airport clearance.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-alternate