3 ms·

I don't think the pilot was aware of any reason not to fly to Minsk at the time.

• bobthepanda 5y ago
  Flight plans include alternate airports, and Minsk is far enough away compared to other airports to not be on a filed flight plan for this particular route.
  • VBprogrammer 5y ago
    Filed alternatives are for fuel planning and satisfying the bureaucracy (showing the flight complies with ETOPS etc). In a real emergency the pilots will select the most convenient airport based on whatever factors they are presented with. Especially so in today's world of paperless cockpits, in the past having the correct approaches to hand might have tipped the balance in favour of a planned alternative.
    • bobthepanda 5y ago
      Sure, and judging by the transcript Minsk wasn't the pilot's choice.