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Aviation glossary

Diversion

Also: divert, diverted flight, en-route alternate

Operations and flight

A decision to land at an airport other than the planned destination, because of bad weather, a runway closure, a medical emergency on board or a technical problem.

What it is

With few exceptions, commercial flights plan at least one alternate airport and carry the fuel to reach it. If, near the destination, the weather drops below minimums, the runway closes or holding goes on too long, the crew diverts.

Diversions also happen en route, for a passenger in need of urgent medical care or a technical issue that makes landing soon the prudent choice. Over oceans, en-route alternates are planned along the way, such as Keflavík in Iceland, Shannon in Ireland and Gander in Canada on the North Atlantic, and they underpin the ETOPS rules.

A diversion is expensive for the airline, with passengers to rebook, crews who may run out of duty time and an aircraft out of position, but it is a safety decision that rests with the captain. Some wide-bodies can jettison fuel in flight to bring their weight closer to the maximum landing weight.

Related terms

Alternate airportAirport to which an aircraft can proceed if landing at the intended destination becomes impossible or inadvisable, specified in the flight plan. ETOPSRules that let twin-engine aircraft fly routes far from suitable diversion airports, up to a maximum one-engine flying time approved for each aircraft type and airline. Pilot in commandThe pilot designated as ultimately responsible for the operation and safety of a flight; at an airline this is the captain, who normally sits in the left-hand seat. MLWMaximum weight at which an aircraft is certified to land, determined mainly by the strength of the landing gear and the airframe. Go-aroundA manoeuvre in which the pilot abandons an approach or landing, applies power and climbs away to try again or to head for another airport.
Whole glossary

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Diversion. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion

MLA

“Diversion.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Diversion.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Diversion. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_diversion,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Diversion}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/diversion |title=Diversion |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}

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