Definition
A formal set of authorizations, limitations, and procedures issued by the FAA to a specific operator (such as an airline, charter company, or other certificate holder) that define exactly what that operator is approved to do, where, how, and with what equipment. Operations Specifications are part of the operator's certificate and carry the force of regulation for that operator.
Plain English
An official FAA-issued rulebook tailored to one specific operator. It spells out what that operator is allowed to fly, where they can fly it, what equipment they must use, and what procedures they must follow.
Context Anchor
In instrument flying and Required Navigation Performance discussions, OpsSpecs are often where an operator’s approval for certain navigation procedures is documented.
Derivation
From 'operations' (the activities of running flights) and 'specifications' (a detailed written list of requirements). Together: a detailed written list of what an operator's flight activities are approved to look like.
Why Pilots Care
A pilot must know the limits stated in the OpsSpecs before accepting a clearance or conducting an approach that requires a particular level of navigation performance.
Analogy
OpsSpecs are like an official rule sheet for a flight operation: they do not teach the pilot how to fly, but they say what that operation is allowed to do.
Intuition Check
Do not read “specifications” here as general equipment details or company preferences. In this context, OpsSpecs are FAA-issued operating authorizations and limits.
Example Sentence 1
The airline's OpsSpecs authorized RNP AR approaches at this airport, so the crew was cleared to fly the curved approach path.
Example Sentence 2
After the OpsSpecs were amended, the crew could now use the new RNAV arrival procedures listed in the authorization.