Airline dispatchers create flight plans, monitor flights, and communicate with pilots to ensure safe and efficient operations. They have the authority to divert, delay, cancel, or change flight plans. In the US, licensed dispatchers must have aviation knowledge equivalent to pilots and substantial meteorology experience.
Airline dispatchers work on the ground to ensure that all air flights under their watch operate safely and efficiently. Typically, an airline’s dispatcher makes flight plans for its flights, taking into account weather conditions, fuel consumption, personnel requirements and air traffic. This flight plan is then approved by the pilot, with whom the airline dispatcher may share joint legal responsibility for the flight. The purpose of requiring pilots to work with airline dispatchers is to improve safety by incorporating checks and balances into the flight system.
An airline dispatcher’s workday usually begins with a check of the weather, satellite imagery, and other information about issues affecting flights that day. Once the dispatcher is familiar with current flight conditions, the person he is relieving for informs them of current air flights. Typically, the rest of the day is spent monitoring and communicating with flights, keeping up to date on weather information, and signing off on flights the dispatcher has planned. A dispatcher has the authority to divert, delay, cancel or change flight plans. The flight’s airline dispatcher is often considered the “ground captain” of the plane, due to their powerful and important role in the flight of the plane.
Not all flights are required to have an air dispatcher, and many supplementary airlines employ what is called a flight follower. A flight follower does not share the pilot’s legal responsibility for the safety of the flight and is not required to acquire a license. Also, while most countries employ some form of licensed air dispatchers, licensing requirements vary somewhat from country to country. Dispatchers are not licensed in some locations, but most follow international regulations to keep planes safe.
In the United States, a licensed airline dispatcher must have aviation knowledge equivalent to that of a pilot, in addition to substantial experience in meteorology. Since this is a licensed position, there are many air dispatcher training programs that teach just these skills. Taking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Dispatcher (FAA) exam, which consists of a written, practical, and oral component, typically marks the completion of a training program. This test involves aviation knowledge questions, the creation of a flight plan, and oral questions on specific dispatch issues. These rigorous licensing processes are designed to ensure that people employed in airline dispatch duties are knowledgeable and skilled enough to keep an airplane safe.
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