Refining Irregular Operation Responses

The Houston Airport System, in response to a 2010 U.S. Department of Transportation rule that requires airlines to adopt contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays, has established an Irregular Operations (IROPS) Program. The IROPS program is compatible with recommendations outlined in the Department of Transportation’s model contingency plan. The program has developed in three distinct but interrelated phases. The purpose of the first phase was to bring together aviation department members and aviation service providers as a coordination committee for developing the IROPS program. The second phase was to document existing conditions and identity how the aviation community could respond to an irregular operation at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport. The third phase involved the development of 28 joint actions to implement before, during or after an IROPS event. The committee is meeting regularly to identify and develop procedures to address each joint action.