---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 C.F.R. § 121.621"
title: "14"
number: "121.621"
heading: "Alternate airport for destination: Flag operations."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/14/121.621"
---

# §121.621. Alternate airport for destination: Flag operations.

- (a) No person may dispatch an airplane under IFR or over-the-top unless he lists at least one alternate airport for each destination airport in the dispatch release, unless—
  - (1) The flight is scheduled for not more than 6 hours and, for at least 1 hour before and 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival at the destination airport, the appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, indicate the ceiling will be:
    - (i) At least 1,500 feet above the lowest circling MDA, if a circling approach is required and authorized for that airport; or
    - (ii) At least 1,500 feet above the lowest published instrument approach minimum or 2,000 feet above the airport elevation, whichever is greater; and
    - (iii) The visibility at that airport will be at least 3 miles, or 2 miles more than the lowest applicable visibility minimums, whichever is greater, for the instrument approach procedures to be used at the destination airport; or
  - (2) The flight is over a route approved without an available alternate airport for a particular destination airport and the airplane has enough fuel to meet the requirements of [§ 121.641(b)](/cfr/14/121.641.md?p=b) or [§ 121.645(c)](/cfr/14/121.645.md?p=c).
- (b) For the purposes of [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section, the weather conditions at the alternate airport must meet the requirements of the certificate holder's operations specifications.
- (c) No person may dispatch a flight unless he lists each required alternate airport in the dispatch release.

## Notes

### Amendments

[Docket 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121-159, 45 FR 41594, June 19, 1980; Amdt. 121-253, 61 FR 2614, Jan. 26, 1996]

### Source

Source: Docket 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40103, 40113, 40119, 41706, 42301 preceding note added by Pub. L. 112-95, sec. 412, 126 Stat. 89, 44101, 44701-44702, 44705, 44709-44711, 44713, 44716-44717, 44722, 44729, 44732; 46105; Pub. L. 111-216, 124 Stat. 2348 (49 U.S.C. 44701 note); Pub. L. 112-95, 126 Stat. 62 (49 U.S.C. 44732 note); Pub. L. 115-254, 132 Stat. 3186 (49 U.S.C. 44701 note).

### Amendments

[Docket 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121-159, 45 FR 41594, June 19, 1980; Amdt. 121-253, 61 FR 2614, Jan. 26, 1996]