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.
IROP
Irregular Operations
Irregular Operations refers to any disruption to the normal planned schedule of airline operations. IROPs are triggered by events outside the standard operating plan, including severe weather at origin or destination airports, mechanical issues requiring aircraft substitution or delayed maintenance releases, air traffic control delays and ground stops, crew duty time limitations, security incidents, and medical diversions. During an IROP event, airlines activate recovery procedures that involve coordination between operations control centers, dispatchers, maintenance, gate agents, and crew scheduling to minimize the downstream impact on passengers and equipment.
The severity of an IROP can range from a minor delay of a single flight to a systemwide disruption affecting hundreds of flights across an entire network - as can occur during a major winter storm or hub closure. Airlines measure IROP severity using metrics like delay minutes per departure, misconnected passengers, and aircraft-out-of-position counts. IROPs recovery planning must account for crew legality under aviation regulations, aircraft maintenance requirements, and slot restrictions at congested airports. Effective dispatch and operations control decision-making during IROPs is a critical skill, and many airlines train for IROP scenarios specifically during dispatcher and operations certifications.