Wow, big response in only a couple of hours - I haven't been monitoring the thread....
I posed the question because a recent command trainee at my airline got roasted on his command check flight when he encountered this senario and, in reply to the checkie's query, stated that, no, an alternate was not now required.
Now, I certainly don't have all the answers, but I totally agree with this candidate, and the wisdom expressed by Who Cares, Red Jet and others in that camp. It has to be a preflight, planning requirement only, because really, what does the Jepp/ AIP requirement to "provide for an alternate" really mean? Take more fuel, of course, to allow you to reach another port. So unless I missed the recent introduction of midair refuelling on our fleet, you're legally stuffed if that's not the case.
So although there is not a mandate to now provide an alternate, what is required, and alluded to by some here, is a COMMAND DESCISION and AIRMANSHIP. Sure, the destination conditions have deteriorated, so what are you going to do? Gather information and decide on a course of action. If you HAPPEN to have juice to divert, then that may be wise, but anything you do from here on is an enroute, inflight, can't-change-my-fuel-load descision.
That's what I reckon, anyway......
