Hello gentlemen, yes the favorite discussion about fuel! Everyone has a valid point and answer to how much fuel one should carry. Some times it is due to experience and local knowledge, and other times it is purely down to putting on extra fuel with no justification at all, just because I want extra fuel. My feeling is the last reason is totally unacceptable
Lets have a look at a standard minimum fuel policy.
1: Taxi fuel.
2: A to B plus approach.
3: Contingency.
4: B to C plus visual approach
5: 30 minutes hold
6: And in some cases APU burn.
The requirements at flight planning and departure are to have at least the regularity or company minimum fuel which ever is the greatest. You can't dispatch with a lower fuel figure. Once you are under way and this includes while still on the ground, the Captain has to have sufficient fuel to land safely at a airport with 30 minutes fuel remaining or declare a fuel emergency.
So in reality what the Captain should be looking at is the weather at destination going to be at the time of arrival above landing minima? How many runways does it have if one was to close? Could I safely land at a closer alternate if I had too? This is the more practical approach to have I got enough fuel to safely land at my destination. How many times have you divert for a runway closure which is not expected? Of course if the weather was forecast to be marginal you would have carried extra fuel and yes sometimes there are unexpected changes in the weather. But with fuel at the price it is today and climbing I think a more practical approach is required, carrying minimum fuel is not a compromise on safety at all, it just requires better judgment and management of the fuel onboard and not the old lets fill it up and go mentality of the past when fuel was cheap. At present I believe the cost of fuel to be approximately 50% of the total running costs of the aircraft. If you want to keep your job I suggest you reevaluate the amount of fuel you carry in the safest and efficient manner.