{"id":26777,"date":"2025-01-22T08:04:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T13:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=26777"},"modified":"2026-04-02T04:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:04:25","slug":"fire-on-the-nat-where-to-go-in-an-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/fire-on-the-nat-where-to-go-in-an-emergency\/","title":{"rendered":"FIRE on the NAT! Where to go in an emergency?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>In OPSGROUP, we talk a lot about the North Atlantic.<\/strong> Whether it&#8217;s a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Plotting Chart<\/span> you need, or an explanation of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/data-link-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Datalink Mandate<\/a>, or a <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/nat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">summary of big changes stretching back to the dawn of time<\/a> &#8211; we&#8217;ve got you covered. We love the NAT so much we even enjoy <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/nat-conundrums-volume-iv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">asking ourselves annoying questions about it<\/a> over and over again to see if we can answer them (we can).<\/p>\n<p>But here&#8217;s something we haven&#8217;t fully looked into before &#8211; <strong>if you&#8217;re in big trouble on the NAT (like an engine on fire, for example), where can you go?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-26800\" src=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-1-1-1024x708.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-1-1-1024x708.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-1-1-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-1-1-768x531.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-1-1-1536x1061.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-1-1-2048x1415.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Turns out there&#8217;s quite a bit of complexity to this. <strong>Some airports don&#8217;t have amazing levels of fire cover, some are closed at night, and some have weird setups where you have to pay them in advance to make sure they stay open in case you need them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ll start with these <strong>odd ones.<\/strong> And we&#8217;re going to do everything in <strong>local time<\/strong> to keep things easy. Also, for the uninitiated, <strong>RFFS<\/strong> means Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (i.e. what level of fire cover an airport has), and if you&#8217;re confused about what number means what, you can read all about it <a href=\"https:\/\/skybrary.aero\/articles\/rescue-and-fire-fighting-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Odd Ones<\/strong><\/h6>\n<h4>CYFB\/Iqaluit<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Airport open:<\/strong> Mon-Fri 08-17, other times 12hrs notice required<\/li>\n<li><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> 5 (up to RFFS 7 available on request)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why odd?\u00a0<\/strong>So it&#8217;s basically closed at night unless you make a special request for them to stay open in case you need them. If extended hours are needed, additional costs will apply to keep staff on standby. Requests to extend operating hours at the airport must be submitted using a specific doc for either <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Copy-of-October-1-2024-CAT-5-STANDBY-CALLOUT-REQUEST.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RFF5<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Copy-of-October-1-2024-CAT-7-STANDBY-CALLOUT-REQUEST.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RFF7<\/a>. CYFB provides extra RFF coverage at night fairly often, typically several dozen times a month. Charges apply for the extended standby period depending on the level of fire cover required.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">BGGH\/Nuuk<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Airport open:<\/strong> 06-21 every day<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> 5 (or RFFS 8 with 4 hours notice)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why odd?<\/strong> Technically it&#8217;s open at night, but in practice this is still difficult, especially in winter. In the summer months, when there&#8217;s no snow and it&#8217;s daylight almost all day every day, there won&#8217;t be the same need for runway sweeping and using the airport as a diversion alternate might be more possible because they will only require standby personnel on short notice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">BGBW\/Narsarsuaq<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Airport open:<\/strong> Mon-Sat 08-17 (yep, closed on Sundays!)<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> 7 (3 hours notice for non-scheduled traffic)<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Why odd?<\/strong> Can be requested to stay open at night most of the time. But watch out! As we <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/greenbacks-and-greenland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported before<\/a>, Greenland airports will charge you the better part of $3k if you list either of them on your flight plan as diversion alternates when they\u2019re closed.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>BGBW is expected to close around May 2026<\/strong>, when the new airport at BGQO\/Qaqortoq opens. After that, Narsarsuaq will likely switch to heliport-only ops for the local community.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>BGSF\/Sondrestrom<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Airport open:<\/strong>\u00a0Mon-Fri 08-16 (summer May-Sep: Mon-Sat 07-15)<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> 5 (or RFFS 8 with 4 hours notice)<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Why odd?<\/strong> Same as BGBW, can be requested to stay open at nights or on weekends, but same costs will apply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em><strong data-start=\"2232\" data-end=\"2267\">A quick Greenland update<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n<p><em>Greenland is currently in the middle of a transition. <strong>A new airport at BGQO\/Qaqortoq is scheduled to open on<\/strong> <strong data-start=\"216\" data-end=\"233\">17 April 2026<\/strong> and will eventually replace <strong data-start=\"262\" data-end=\"281\">BGBW\/Narsarsuaq<\/strong> as the main southern airport option. The rollout will be fairly controlled, with mandatory PPR and operating hours Mon-Sat 0600-1500. So at least at the beginning this probably will not be a simple drop in NAT alternate. For more info, <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/greenland-nat-alternates-march-2026-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">check our article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">EGPK\/Prestwick<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Airport open: <\/strong>H24<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> 7 (up to RFFS 9 available on request)<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Why odd?<\/strong> Often at night they close the terminals building (they always Notam it) so there are no facilities for diversions at these times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">LPPD\/Ponta Delgada<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Airport open: <\/strong>0615-0000<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> 7 (can be increased to RFFS 9 with 24hrs notice at a cost of 70 Euros per hour, although they say this can usually be increased for emergencies too).<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Why odd?<\/strong> At night (0000-0615), the airport has told us that they are closed and will only guarantee reopening for urgent medical evacuation flights, or humanitarian flights at the request of the Portuguese Air Force. LPLA\/Lajes is the only airport in the Azores that is open all night for diverts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">LPAZ\/Santa Maria<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Airport open: <\/strong>It&#8217;s complicated.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>RFFS:<\/strong> It&#8217;s complicated.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><strong>Why odd?<\/strong> Ok, here we go. So from <strong>0645-2130<\/strong> they are fully open with RFFS 6 (RFFS 8 available for a surcharge if you arrange in advance). Then from <strong>2130-0000<\/strong> the airport is closed but you can request they stay open for around 900 Euros (plus a fee to the handling agent). Then from <strong>0000-0645<\/strong> the airport is completely closed and cannot accept emergency diverts at all. Bottom line, just go to LPLA\/Lajes instead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"p1\">TXKF\/Bermuda<\/h4>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><b>Airport open: <\/b>06-23 every day<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><b>RFFS:<\/b> 9 daytime 07-23<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><b>Why odd?<\/b> To get them to open at night (ATC and RFFS) for emergencies, you need to give them 30 mins notice &#8211; so not ideal if your needs are super urgent. Also, they do sometimes publish Notams saying that ATC will not be available for certain periods at night, even for emergencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h6><strong>Not Odd Ones<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p class=\"p1\">Ok great! Here are all the straightforward airports that are open H24 with decent fire cover:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>CYYR\/Goose Bay<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 8<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>CYQX\/Gander<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 5 (RFF 6\/7 with 30 mins notice, RFF 8 with 1hr notice)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>CYDF\/Deer Lake<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 6 (RFF 7 with 30 mins notice)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>CYJT\/Stephenville<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 5 (RFF 6 with 30 mins notice)<br \/>\nIn winter months, they often have a Notam saying that they might need 2hrs notice at night to clear the runway of snow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>CYYT\/St Johns<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 7<\/p>\n<p><strong>CYHZ\/Halifax<\/strong><br \/>\nOpen H24<br \/>\nRFF 8<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>BIKF\/Keflavik<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 8 daytime 05-19 (RFF 7 overnight 19-05)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>EGAA\/Belfast<\/b><br \/>\nOpen H24<br \/>\nRFF 7 (RFF 8\/9 with 24hrs notice)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>EINN\/Shannon<br \/>\n<\/b>Open H24<br \/>\nRFF 9 (RFF 7 overnight 23-07)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><b>LPLA\/Lajes<br \/>\n<\/b>Airport open 07-21 (but H24 for emergencies)<br \/>\nRFF 8 at all times<\/p>\n<p>So let&#8217;s give that map another try, this time with a tasteful splash of orange colour&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-26801 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-1024x708.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-1024x708.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-768x531.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-1536x1061.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NAT-Diverts-Airports-Map-2-2048x1415.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>So there you have it, friend! While we&#8217;re on the subject of <strong>Emergency Diverts<\/strong>, you might also be interested to read about <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/nat-conundrums-volume-iv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NAT Contingency Procedures<\/a> (what to do when you need to deviate from your ATC clearance due to an emergency). For more info about recent changes to <strong>Greenland Airports<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/greenland-nat-alternates-march-2026-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>. And to download the latest <strong>OPSGROUP NAT\/North Atlantic Plotting and Planning Chart 2026<\/strong>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">head over here<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>As usual, any questions, let us know at <a href=\"mailto:team@ops.group\">team@ops.group<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In OPSGROUP, we talk a lot about the North Atlantic. Whether it&#8217;s a Plotting Chart&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":26789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[472,1049,21,20],"class_list":{"0":"post-26777","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-briefings","8":"tag-emergency","9":"tag-greenland","10":"tag-nat","11":"tag-north-atlantic"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26777"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30091,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26777\/revisions\/30091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}