This glossary is written for virtual airline and flight simulation use within Virtual Air Canada Airline. It is not intended as a real-world aviation reference.
FOQA
Flight Operations Quality Assurance
Flight Operations Quality Assurance is a proactive safety program in which airlines systematically collect and analyze digital flight data to identify deviations from standard operating procedures, crew training needs, and potential safety risks - before those risks lead to incidents or accidents. FOQA programs download data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or equivalent sensors after every flight and run it through analysis software that checks hundreds of parameters against predefined thresholds. Examples include unstabilized approaches, excessive landing sink rates, hard landings, speed deviations, over-limit engine parameters, and terrain proximity events.
FOQA is distinct from accident investigation in that it is entirely voluntary and non-punitive in intent. Airlines use FOQA data at an aggregate, de-identified level to understand systemic trends across their fleet rather than to discipline individual pilots. When an event is flagged, it triggers a review process that may result in targeted crew training, procedure revisions, or operational guidance updates. FOQA programs are required or strongly encouraged by regulators in many countries and are recognized by organizations like IATA and ICAO as a cornerstone of Safety Management Systems (SMS). The equivalent program in Europe is often called FDM (Flight Data Monitoring).