During climb, what additional time is typically added to the estimated time en route calculation?

When calculating estimated time en route (ETE) for a flight, it is common practice to add time during the climb phase. This is important because climb segments generally take longer than cruising segments and can be subject to variability based on aircraft performance, weight, and environmental conditions.

Adding 2 minutes to the ETE is a standard approach based on average performance metrics for many aircraft in a typical climb scenario. This duration considers the ascent to a safe altitude, allows for any adjustments or delays due to air traffic control, and accommodates the time it takes to stabilize at cruising altitude. By incorporating this additional time, pilots ensure more reliable flight planning, thus enhancing safety and operational efficiency during the climb to cruise altitude.

Other durations may not adequately reflect the average climb times and could lead to optimistic ETEs that do not align with actual flight performance.