Polar Operations Requirements Checklist (FAA)
In the United States, flying in the North Polar Area needs authorisation from the FAA. This checklist is based on 14 CFR 135.98, which lists what the operation specifications must contain, and on the FAA's polar operations guidance in Advisory Circular 120-42B. Part 121 air carriers have equivalent requirements.
Authorisation
No certificate holder may operate an aircraft north of 78 degrees North, other than intrastate operations wholly within Alaska, unless the FAA has authorised it. The authorisation is written into the operator's operations specifications.
What the operator must have
- Designated diversion airports, and the requirements those airports must meet at the time of diversion.
- A recovery plan for passengers at the designated diversion airports. All-cargo operations are excepted.
- A fuel-freeze strategy, and procedures for monitoring fuel freezing in flight.
- A plan to ensure communication capability in the North Polar Area.
- A minimum equipment list (MEL) for operations in the North Polar Area.
- A training plan for polar operations.
- A plan for mitigating crew exposure to radiation during solar flare activity.
- At least two cold weather anti-exposure suits on the aircraft, to protect crewmembers outside at a diversion airport with extreme climatic conditions. The FAA may relieve the operator of this requirement if the season makes the equipment unnecessary.
Proving the recovery plan
FAA guidance describes the operator demonstrating its ability to carry out the passenger recovery plan, including a tabletop exercise and a validation flight with a simulated diversion into an approved diversion airport. The validation checks communications, navigation and surveillance, coordination, facilities, the accuracy of weather and NOTAM information, and space weather information.
Training
Crews must be trained on any passenger recovery plan used, on the fuel-freeze procedures, and on radiation exposure, among other items in the training plan.
This summary is not a substitute for the regulation or the AC. Other States and EASA have their own rules. Checked October 2026.
FAQ
Does the checklist apply to cargo flights?
Mostly yes, but all-cargo operations do not need the passenger recovery plan.
Who authorises polar operations in the United States?
The FAA, through the operator's operations specifications.
More guides
- How to Calculate Crosswind and Headwind Components
- How to Read a METAR: A Plain-English Guide
- How to Read a TAF: Airport Forecasts Explained
- What Is in an ICAO Flight Plan? Every Item Explained
- The Wind Triangle Explained: Heading, Ground Speed and Drift
- FAA Part 117 Explained: Flight Time, Duty Period and Rest
- Flight Fuel Planning Explained: Trip, Contingency, Alternate and Reserve
- Density Altitude Explained: How Heat and Height Cut Performance
- How to File a Flight Plan: Steps for Pilots and Dispatchers
- How to Read a NOTAM: ICAO Format Explained
- EASA Flight Time Limitations: The Basics and How They Differ from FAA Part 117
- EDTO Explained: Extended Diversion Time Operations from Scratch
- Adequate vs Suitable Aerodrome: What Is the Difference?
- How to Calculate an Equal Time Point (ETP)
- EDTO Approval and Dispatch Requirements Explained
- The North Atlantic Organised Track System (NAT OTS) Explained
- The NAT Track Message and TMI Number Explained
- NAT High Level Airspace (HLA) Requirements Explained
- Oceanic Clearance on the North Atlantic: How It Works
- NAT Contingency Procedures and SLOP Explained
- Polar Routes Explained: What Is Special About Flying Near the Poles
For training and reference only. Check official sources before any real flight.