ROUTE Page Basics

Step-by-step: ROUTE Page Basics

1. Press the RTE page key to open the ROUTE page. This is where you enter origin, destination, and the company route.

   Origin and destination are 4-letter ICAO codes from your Operational Flight Plan (OFP) — the paperwork dispatch provides before every flight. KJFK = New York JFK, EGLL = London Heathrow. Getting this wrong means the FMS calculates the wrong route, fuel, and winds.

2. Type KJFK into the scratchpad and press 1L to set the ORIGIN airport.

   Origin and destination are 4-letter ICAO codes from your Operational Flight Plan (OFP) — the paperwork dispatch provides before every flight. KJFK = New York JFK, EGLL = London Heathrow. Getting this wrong means the FMS calculates the wrong route, fuel, and winds.

3. Type EGLL and press 1R to set the DEST airport.

   Origin and destination are 4-letter ICAO codes from your Operational Flight Plan (OFP) — the paperwork dispatch provides before every flight. KJFK = New York JFK, EGLL = London Heathrow. Getting this wrong means the FMS calculates the wrong route, fuel, and winds.

4. Type KJFKEGLL01 and press 2L to enter the CO ROUTE — the company-stored route code.

   Company routes are pre-built flight plans stored in the airline's FMS database. Instead of entering every waypoint manually, you type a route code from the OFP. The dispatcher has already verified this route for airspace restrictions and NOTAMs.

5. Type BAW178 and press 2R to enter the FLT NO (flight number).

   The flight number comes from the OFP and matches your ATC callsign. BAW = British Airways ICAO code, 178 = flight number. It's how controllers identify you on radar and how ACARS associates this FMS with the correct flight.

6. Press 6R to move to PERF INIT, then type 52 and press 5L to set COST INDEX.

   Cost index is set by the airline, not the pilots — you find it on the OFP. It represents the ratio of time cost to fuel cost. A higher number means "time is expensive, fly faster." Typical values: 0–20 for fuel conservation, 30–60 for normal ops, 80+ for tight schedules.

7. Type 39000 and press 1R to set CRZ ALT (cruise altitude).

   Cruise altitude comes from the OFP and is coordinated with ATC. It depends on direction of flight (semi-circular rule: eastbound = odd levels like FL350/FL370/FL390, westbound = even), aircraft weight, and wind. FL390 is near the ceiling and efficient for long-haul with low fuel load.