Delta’s Extended Ground Delay
Response Program
Development of Delta’s Operational Control Center
• 1986 – 1991 Delta growth
• 1993 – Storm of the Century
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Irregular Operations Task Force formed
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Sept 1993 Delta partnered with IBM Consulting on OCC concept
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Benchmarked Northwest and American
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OCC designed with four key components in mind:
– Passenger wants/needs - teamed with Delta Brand Management and
advertising/marketing consultants to conduct focus groups
– People - organizational readiness for change
– Process - standardization and continual improvement
– Technology - robust, integrated solutions
• 1995 Delta’s OCC established
– Started with 13 disciplines, 150 staff
– Now have 21 disciplines, 400 staff
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EXTENDED GROUND DELAY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2/25/2008
CONFIDENTIAL TO DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Mission Statement
The Operations Control Center’s primary mission is to provide a
proactive approach to network management that reduces the
chances of an IROP occurring. In the event extensive delays do
occur, our goal is to mitigate the impact on our customers. Our
policies and procedures are designed to exceed guidelines
established by the Air Transport Association and any other
governmental agencies.
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EXTENDED GROUND DELAY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2/25/2008
CONFIDENTIAL TO DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
National Awareness of
Airline Extended Ground Delays
• 1998 – Northwest Airlines Christmas holiday IROP event
• 1999 – Industry establishes Customer Commitments
• Delta tailored existing OCC procedures to align with Customer Commitment
– Collaboration with Stations/RES/IFS/Flt Ops/Customer Care
– An effective response plan is flexible and does not limit options
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EXTENDED GROUND DELAY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2/25/2008
CONFIDENTIAL TO DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Proactive Operational Planning
Layered Approach: systemwide, regional, local
• Events
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E.g., weather, major sporting events, California wild fires, runway closures,
FAA system infrastructure issues, security
• Identifying Constraints
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E.g., fleet, de-icing capacity, crew time, weather, government mandates, FAA,
Port Authorities
• 72 / 48 / 24 hour planning
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Proactive thinning / cancellations
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Network coordination
• Customer Communication (CNS, Delta Messenger, FIDS/GIDS, etc.)
• Reset Strategy
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Goal = return to normal operations
EXTENDED GROUND DELAY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2/25/2008
CONFIDENTIAL TO DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Reactive IROP Strategy
• Monitoring, Alerts, and Notifications
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OCC receives alerts after inbound delays exceed 15 minutes and outbound
delays exceed 30 minutes
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Monitor NAS, weather updates/validate events
• Mitigating Strategy
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OCC/local station response escalates as delays grow, culminating in
involvement by senior management
• Extended Hold-Out Response
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Adequate food, water, functioning lavatories
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Customer communication
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Deplaning assessment/coordination
• Post-Event Analysis
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Internal and external
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Lessons learned
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Debriefing
EXTENDED GROUND DELAY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2/25/2008
CONFIDENTIAL TO DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Summary
• Safety is paramount throughout all decisions
• Most IROPS are multi-day events
– Evaluate and balance customer options with delivery of best outcome for
current and next-day customers
• Goal is to always avoid or minimize customer impact through proactive
planning, when possible
– Extensive human and capital resources are dedicated to deliver hasslefree travel
– It’s good for the customer and good for business
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EXTENDED GROUND DELAY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2/25/2008
CONFIDENTIAL TO DELTA AIR LINES, INC.