Narrative:

We pushed at XA51; 1 min late due to aft cargo door closure. When calling for taxi; we were told that our filed departure and ZZZ arrival was shutdown. Spent 1 hour 43 mins on ground trying to get a different route filed and finally left. Approaching the ZZZZ1 intersection on the ZZZZ1 arrival into ZZZ we were told to hold and then descended to 12000 ft. This took place at approximately XC55; we calculated holding fuel and determined that we could hold down to 6.5 and then divert to ZZZ2. Our filed alternates were both impacted now by the same WX that was keeping us from getting into ZZZ and ZZZ2 was in the clear. I notified dispatch of such and he sent back a diversion plan that related the same. Our efc was XD25 and at that time it was extended to XD35 as we were still holding. I queried ATC as to our position in the arrs and he told me we were #2 and that we were next to be released to approach. We then continued to hold predicated upon that information. ATC began clearing aircraft that were 5000-10000 ft above us in the hold into ZZZ but not us; as we were boxed in by an MOA that was due west of the holding stack. Just as we reached both our fuel limit and our efc; ATC informed us that we would have to continue holding as ZZZ approach could not take us at 12000 ft due to an MOA that was immediately due west of our position (this MOA did not have any military aircraft in it at the time). I told ATC that we would have to now divert to ZZZ2. Center could not allow us to divert from our present position at 12000 ft due to the same MOA so they turned us to 120 degrees and pointed us towards ZZZ4 while still holding us down at 12000 ft. I declared at this point minimum fuel as we were going to be landing ZZZ2 below 5000 pounds due to the extended vector away from our alternate while at 12000 ft. ATC said they were unable to allow me to divert to ZZZ2 at any altitude below FL190 but could not yet climb me so as I was burning fuel at a prodigious rate. We experienced an uneventful but expedited arrival into ZZZ and landed with 5500 pounds of fuel. Several other aircraft diverted as well due to this MOA that the military would not release but had no military aircraft in it. It took declaring an emergency to get anything to happen. Manager of ATC system needs to look into this and see if there is anything that can be done. A charted ATC holding pattern really shouldn't be so closely adjacent to an MOA that cannot be easily accessed. Numerous passenger at our airline as well as others were inconvenienced by this unused but also unreleased MOA during a WX event and many unnecessary gallons of expensive jet fuel were wasted. Develop better coordination for ATC to coordination with the military for entry into a hot but empty MOA during WX emergency events. Charted arrival holding patterns should not be so closely adjacent to an MOA. It creates a box canyon so to speak where a flight can find itself unable just as we did to divert to an alternate with enough fuel to safely arrive without declaring an emergency to enter the MOA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT REPORTS ARRIVAL DELAY AND IMPEDIMENT TO DIVERSION CAUSED BY MOA DURING HOLDING FOR ZZZ.

Narrative: WE PUSHED AT XA51; 1 MIN LATE DUE TO AFT CARGO DOOR CLOSURE. WHEN CALLING FOR TAXI; WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR FILED DEP AND ZZZ ARR WAS SHUTDOWN. SPENT 1 HR 43 MINS ON GND TRYING TO GET A DIFFERENT RTE FILED AND FINALLY LEFT. APCHING THE ZZZZ1 INTXN ON THE ZZZZ1 ARR INTO ZZZ WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AND THEN DSNDED TO 12000 FT. THIS TOOK PLACE AT APPROX XC55; WE CALCULATED HOLDING FUEL AND DETERMINED THAT WE COULD HOLD DOWN TO 6.5 AND THEN DIVERT TO ZZZ2. OUR FILED ALTERNATES WERE BOTH IMPACTED NOW BY THE SAME WX THAT WAS KEEPING US FROM GETTING INTO ZZZ AND ZZZ2 WAS IN THE CLR. I NOTIFIED DISPATCH OF SUCH AND HE SENT BACK A DIVERSION PLAN THAT RELATED THE SAME. OUR EFC WAS XD25 AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS EXTENDED TO XD35 AS WE WERE STILL HOLDING. I QUERIED ATC AS TO OUR POS IN THE ARRS AND HE TOLD ME WE WERE #2 AND THAT WE WERE NEXT TO BE RELEASED TO APCH. WE THEN CONTINUED TO HOLD PREDICATED UPON THAT INFO. ATC BEGAN CLRING ACFT THAT WERE 5000-10000 FT ABOVE US IN THE HOLD INTO ZZZ BUT NOT US; AS WE WERE BOXED IN BY AN MOA THAT WAS DUE W OF THE HOLDING STACK. JUST AS WE REACHED BOTH OUR FUEL LIMIT AND OUR EFC; ATC INFORMED US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE HOLDING AS ZZZ APCH COULD NOT TAKE US AT 12000 FT DUE TO AN MOA THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY DUE W OF OUR POS (THIS MOA DID NOT HAVE ANY MIL ACFT IN IT AT THE TIME). I TOLD ATC THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO NOW DIVERT TO ZZZ2. CENTER COULD NOT ALLOW US TO DIVERT FROM OUR PRESENT POS AT 12000 FT DUE TO THE SAME MOA SO THEY TURNED US TO 120 DEGS AND POINTED US TOWARDS ZZZ4 WHILE STILL HOLDING US DOWN AT 12000 FT. I DECLARED AT THIS POINT MINIMUM FUEL AS WE WERE GOING TO BE LNDG ZZZ2 BELOW 5000 LBS DUE TO THE EXTENDED VECTOR AWAY FROM OUR ALTERNATE WHILE AT 12000 FT. ATC SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO ALLOW ME TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2 AT ANY ALT BELOW FL190 BUT COULD NOT YET CLB ME SO AS I WAS BURNING FUEL AT A PRODIGIOUS RATE. WE EXPERIENCED AN UNEVENTFUL BUT EXPEDITED ARR INTO ZZZ AND LANDED WITH 5500 LBS OF FUEL. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT DIVERTED AS WELL DUE TO THIS MOA THAT THE MIL WOULD NOT RELEASE BUT HAD NO MIL ACFT IN IT. IT TOOK DECLARING AN EMER TO GET ANYTHING TO HAPPEN. MGR OF ATC SYS NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. A CHARTED ATC HOLDING PATTERN REALLY SHOULDN'T BE SO CLOSELY ADJACENT TO AN MOA THAT CANNOT BE EASILY ACCESSED. NUMEROUS PAX AT OUR AIRLINE AS WELL AS OTHERS WERE INCONVENIENCED BY THIS UNUSED BUT ALSO UNRELEASED MOA DURING A WX EVENT AND MANY UNNECESSARY GALLONS OF EXPENSIVE JET FUEL WERE WASTED. DEVELOP BETTER COORD FOR ATC TO COORD WITH THE MIL FOR ENTRY INTO A HOT BUT EMPTY MOA DURING WX EMER EVENTS. CHARTED ARR HOLDING PATTERNS SHOULD NOT BE SO CLOSELY ADJACENT TO AN MOA. IT CREATES A BOX CANYON SO TO SPEAK WHERE A FLT CAN FIND ITSELF UNABLE JUST AS WE DID TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE WITH ENOUGH FUEL TO SAFELY ARRIVE WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER TO ENTER THE MOA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.