Minimum contingency fuel
 

Quick question on contingency fuel. Can someone please help explain the 5 minutes at 1500ft requirement in EU-OPS and if this always applies? This is in a non-ETOPs, scheduled, jet operation scenario.

Here's the extract from it I've been looking at - does the "B" item below apply to all operators, all flights? Obviously its only a factor on short flights where 5% of Trip fuel isn't an awful lot:

Many thanks

1.3. Contingency fuel, except as provided for in Paragraph 2 “Reduced Contingency Fuel”, which shall be the higher of a.
or b. below:

(a) Either:

(i) 5 % of the planned trip fuel or, in the event of in-flight re-planning, 5 % of the trip fuel for the remainder of
the flight; or
(ii) Not less than 3 % of the planned trip fuel or, in the event of in-flight re-planning, 3 % of the trip fuel for the
remainder of the flight, provided that an en-route alternate aerodrome is available in accordance with Appendix
2 to OPS 1.255; or
(iii) An amount of fuel sufficient for 20 minutes flying time based upon the planned trip fuel consumption provided
that the operator has established a fuel consumption monitoring programme for individual aeroplanes
and uses valid data determined by means of such a programme for fuel calculation; or
(iv) An amount of fuel based on a statistical method approved by the Authority which ensures an appropriate
statistical coverage of the deviation from the planned to the actual trip fuel. This method is used to monitor
the fuel consumption on each city pair/aeroplane combination and the operator uses this data for a statistical
analysis to calculate contingency fuel for that city pair/aeroplane combination.


(b) An amount to fly for five minutes at holding speed at 1 500 ft (450 m), above the destination aerodrome in standard
conditions.