EASA SIB No.

: 2018-08

Safety Information Bulletin

Operations – ATM/ANS
SIB No.: 2018-08
Issued: 08 May 2018

Subject: In-Flight Fuel Management — Phraseology for Fuel-Related Messages

between Pilots and Air Traffic Control

Revision / Cancellation:
This SIB replaces EASA SIB 2013-12, dated 23 July 2013, which is withdrawn.

Ref. Publications:
- ICAO Annex 6 ‘Operation of aircraft’ Part I — ‘International Commercial Air Transport –
Aeroplanes’, 10th Edition dated July 2016.
- ICAO Annex 6 ‘Operation of aircraft’ Part II — ‘International General Aviation – Aeroplanes’, 9th
Edition dated July 2016.
- ICAO Doc 4444 ‘Procedures for air navigation services — Air Traffic Management’, 16th Edition
dated 2016 (hereinafter referred to as PANS-ATM).
- ICAO Doc 9976 ‘Flight Planning and Fuel Management (FPFM) Manual’, 1st edition dated 2015.
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 dated 05 October 2012 on air operations (hereinafter
referred to as the Air Ops Regulation).
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1185 dated 20 July 2016 amending
Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 as regards the update and completion of the common
rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation
(SERA Part C) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 730/2006.
- EASA ED Decision 2016/023/R dated 13 October 2016 amending the Acceptable Means of
Compliance and Guidance Material to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012
‘AMC and GM to the rules of the air’ — Amendment 1.

Applicability:
All aeroplane operators, pilots, air traffic service (ATS) providers and air traffic controllers (ATC).

Description:
Minimum fuel situations have been the subject of several investigations by the air accident and
incident investigations boards. Moreover, information received by EASA from mandatory
occurrence reports related to fuel indicates that the MINIMUM FUEL declaration has been
frequently misunderstood and misused by pilots and ATC.

EASA SIB 2013-12 informed stakeholders about the adopted ICAO amendment 36 to Annex 6 Part
I, which, in particular, introduced new standards for in-flight fuel management and associated
phraseology. The ICAO standards on the MINIMUM FUEL declaration have been applicable since
15 November 2012. Furthermore, point SERA.11012 introduced a similar requirement in 2016.

This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.

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The relevant ICAO standard and related notes in Annex 6 Parts I and II require that:
‘The pilot-in-command shall advise ATC of a minimum fuel state by declaring MINIMUM FUEL
when, having committed to land at a specific aerodrome, the pilot calculates that any change
to the existing clearance to that aerodrome may result in landing with less than planned final
reserve fuel.’
Note 1 — The declaration of MINIMUM FUEL informs ATC that all planned aerodrome options
have been reduced to a specific aerodrome of intended landing and any change to the existing
clearance may result in landing with less than planned final reserve fuel. This is not an
emergency situation but an indication that an emergency situation is possible should any
additional delay occur.’

For Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operators, Part I includes the following Note 2:
‘Guidance on declaring minimum fuel for CAT operators is contained in the Fuel Planning
Manual (Doc 9976).’

More clarification is provided in ICAO Doc 9976, chapter 6.8.5 ‘Minimum fuel declarations’:
‘Note 1 — Pilots should not expect any form of priority handling as a result of a “MINIMUM
FUEL” declaration. ATC will, however, advise the flight crew of any additional expected delays
as well as coordinate when transferring control of the aeroplane to ensure other ATC units are
aware of the flight’s fuel state.’

As highlighted in ICAO Doc 9976, it is ‘important to note that although the coordinated escalation
process (with ATC) related to the protection of final reserve fuel typically occurs in three steps,
each situation is different and may be resolved at any stage in the process. The three steps in the
escalation process are:

Protecting final reserve fuel in accordance with Annex 6, Part I, 4.3.7

Step 1 Request delay information when required (in accordance with 4.3.7.2.1).
Step 2 Declare MINIMUM FUEL when committed to land at a specific aerodrome and
any change in the existing clearance may result in a landing with less than
planned final reserve fuel (in accordance with 4.3.7.2.2).
Step 3 Declare a fuel emergency when the calculated fuel on landing at the nearest
suitable aerodrome, where a safe landing can be made, will be less than the
planned final reserve fuel (in accordance with 4.3.7.2.3).’

Operators can consult several examples and scenarios on the use of the MINIMUM FUEL
declaration in ICAO Doc 9976, Ch. 6.10.

The corresponding provisions for air traffic controllers can be found in ICAO Doc 4444 PANS-ATM:
‘Minimum fuel. The term used to describe a situation in which an aircraft’s fuel supply has
reached a state where the flight is committed to land at a specific aerodrome and no
additional delay can be accepted.’ (Ch. 1 Definitions)
‘15.5.4.1 When a pilot reports a state of minimum fuel, the controller shall inform the pilot as
soon as practicable of any anticipated delays or that no delays are expected.
Note — The declaration of MINIMUM FUEL informs ATC that all planned aerodrome options
have been reduced to a specific aerodrome of intended landing, and any change to the existing

This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.

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 EASA SIB No.: 2018-08

clearance may result in landing with less than planned final reserve fuel. This is not an
emergency situation but an indication that an emergency situation is possible should any
additional delay occur.’

The relevant requirements in the European regulation SERA are the following:
Article 2 Definitions:
‘94a. “minimum fuel” means a term used to describe a situation in which an aircraft's fuel
supply has reached a state where the flight is committed to land at a specific aerodrome and
no additional delay can be accepted;’

SERA.11012 Minimum Fuel and Fuel Emergency

‘(a) When a pilot reports a state of minimum fuel, the controller shall inform the pilot as
soon as practicable of any anticipated delays or that no delays are expected.
(b) When the level of fuel renders declaring a situation of distress necessary, the pilot, in
accordance with SERA.14095, shall indicate that by using the radiotelephony distress
signal (MAYDAY), preferably spoken three times, followed by the nature of the distress
condition (FUEL).’

The associated Guidance Material is provided in the Annex to ED Decision 2016/023/R, as follows:
GM1 SERA.11012 Minimum fuel and fuel emergency
‘The declaration of MINIMUM FUEL informs ATC that all planned aerodrome options have
been reduced to a specific aerodrome of intended landing, and any change to the existing
clearance may result in landing with less than planned final reserve fuel. This is not an
emergency situation but an indication that an emergency situation is possible should any
additional delay occur.’

Example of phraseology to be used for declaring MINIMUM FUEL:

PILOT: [airline call sign] ‘MINIMUM FUEL.’
ATC: ‘ROGER [NO DELAY EXPECTED or EXPECT (delay information)].

The Air Ops Regulation does not yet contain requirements about the MINIMUM FUEL declaration.
This will be completed through EASA Rulemaking Task (RMT) RMT.0573 ‘Fuel planning and
management’. More examples for the appropriate use of the MINIMUM FUEL declaration will be
provided in the EASA Guidance Material associated to RMT.0573. However, all the provisions
referenced above already contain the relevant requirements on the MINIMUM FUEL declaration.

Recommendation(s):
EASA recommends that operators and ATS providers take note of the references provided in this
SIB, amend, as appropriate, their procedures for in-flight fuel management and the fuel-related
phraseology in accordance with the latest applicable ICAO Standards And Recommended Practices
and the SERA requirements, and document those changes in their Operations Manuals
accordingly.
EASA recommends that operators highlight in their training that the MINIMUM FUEL declaration is
not an emergency declaration but only indicates that an emergency situation is possible if an
additional delay occurs.
The ‘PAN PAN PAN’ call should not be used instead of the MINIMUM FUEL declaration.

This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.

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EASA also recommends that operators and ATS providers ensure that these procedures are
properly disseminated and used by the relevant personnel.

Contact(s):
For further information contact the EASA Safety Information Section, Certification Directorate.
E-mail: [email protected].

This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory.

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Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA-Internet/Intranet.
An agency of the European Union