On 9 Jun 2006 19:03:34 -0700, "Doug"
wrote:

It's not a waiver, its a rule and it's nothing new. An airliner has to
carry enough fuel to get to it's destination, divert to it's alternate
plus 45 minutes. You can't have a rule that "you have to fill up".
Filling up might not be ENOUGH fuel.

And filling up might also mean TOO MUCH fuel. The airplane must be
loaded less than its maximum takeoff weight. Satisfying that
requirement may entail leaving the tanks partially empty. For a short
trip, an airplane taking off with full tanks could still have so much
fuel aboard on arrival that it would above its maximum landing weight.
In that case, the aircraft must depart with less fuel.

Operating with reduced fuel loads has always been a part of safe and
legal operation of the aircraft. Filling the tanks completely could be
illegal and unsafe in some circumstances.

RK Henry