Irregular airline operations: a review of the state-of-the-practice in airline operations control centers

The primary purpose of this paper is to summarize the state-of-the-practice in Airline Operations Control Centers (AOCC) during the aftermath of irregular airline operations. An overview of the structure of a typical AOCC is given as the foundation of the discussion. The main causes of irregularities are considered, using operational data from the US domestic market. A review of the current information systems, and decision support systems in use in AOCCs is given, based on field trips to US airlines, and an international carrier based in the Asia Pacific region. An extensive literature review of research on the topic of irregular airline operations is presented, and a new decision framework is introduced.