MEA is the acronym for which altitude in flight planning?

• A. Mean En Route Altitude
• B. Maximum En Route Altitude
• C. Minimum Elevation Altitude
• D. Minimum En Route Altitude

Answer: (D)

Minimum En Route Altitude is the lowest published altitude between navigational aids on an IFR route that guarantees obstacle clearance and reliable navigation signal reception along that segment. This makes it the standard figure pilots use when planning en route flight levels, ensuring you won’t encounter terrain or obstacles and that the navigation aids you rely on will be usable within that stretch. The term uses “En Route” to denote the segments between airports or VORs, not the terrain’s elevation or any mean value, which is why “Mean En Route Altitude” is not correct. The idea of a maximum en route altitude isn’t a published concept for this purpose, and “Minimum Elevation Altitude” would refer to something different than en route planning. So the correct interpretation is the lowest safe, navigable altitude along the route segment.