Under Canadian Alternate Destination rules, which of the following is a required characteristic of the destination?

• A. Destination must have at least two separate runways
• B. Destination must be at least 3,000 feet elevation
• C. Destination must have a precision approach only
• D. Destination must be equipped with weather radar

Answer: (A)

Redundancy in the alternate destination to ensure a viable landing option. Having at least two separate runways gives the destination multiple landing paths and different wind-direction options, so if one runway is unusable or conditions degrade, there’s a second independent option to land safely. This reduces the risk of being unable to land at the alternate due to a single runway constraint. The other factors—minimum elevation, precision-approach-only status, or requirement for weather radar—aren’t universally applicable for alternate destinations, so they aren’t the essential characteristic.