When people think about air travel, most think that when they are on-board of the airplane they are in the hands of their pilot. This is very true. A flight crew cannot fly without the help of a team of people on the ground. A flight dispatcher makes airline operations work and ensures that both pilots and their passengers are able to travel safely to their destinations. These flight dispatchers, men and women of a high quality, spend their day mapping out flight paths with every possible scenario in mind, acts as sort of a co-pilot, but they never leave their command post on the ground and never been heard of or seen around.
A flight dispatcher, also known as an aircraft dispatcher or flight operations officer, assists in planning flight paths, taking into account aircraft performance and loading, en-route winds, thunderstorm and turbulence forecasts, airspace restrictions, and airport conditions. Before a airplane is fueled, loaded and boarded, flight dispatchers have already planned the entire flight and there is a lot that goes in to planning a flight: departure times, weather conditions, optimal flying altitude, fuel requirements, planning for emergencies and holding patterns, communicating with in the airline, sales and maintenance teams and the flight crew. Operations at the airport of departure and destination play a big role in on-time operation depending on taxi times and delays. Flight Dispatchers usually share responsibility for the exercise of operational control, which gives them authority to divert, delay or cancel a flight and this is known as ‘Co-Authority Dispatch’. Flight dispatchers are legally 50% responsible for the safety of every flight they dispatch. The pilot in command of the flight holds responsibility for the other 50%. A flight dispatcher has the legal authority to refuse to dispatch a flight if safety is in any way in question, as does the pilot in command. Because commercial decision making in an airline can conflict with the safety of a flight, a flight dispatcher’s responsibilities are kept separate from the commercial aspects of an airline’s operation, and as such the profession is primarily focused on the safety of a flight. All other duties are secondary.
Flight dispatcher helps pilots work with multiple streams of data to make informed decisions about their routes and schedules. Without flight dispatcher, flights would not run as efficiently, and pilots might not have as much information as they need in order to make the best possible decisions both on the ground and in the air. Flight dispatchers take into consideration any factor that might affect a commercial flight.
Not only do flight dispatchers receive much of the same training as pilots, but they also have to take the same exams and follow the flight, fly a required amount of hours to earn the necessary credentials. Flight dispatchers are also well-versed in airplane performances, meteorology and weather patterns, government rules and regulations, Flight Operations Manual and company policies and standard operation procedures. Shared responsibility adds a layer of checks and balances to airplane operation and greatly improves safety. Hours of work rolled into experience and skills, passing the regular recurrent training and proficiency check to ensure the safety and comfort of every flight.
Usual duties of the flight dispatchers are: Operational pre-flight preparation within a prescribed geographic area; Flight planning and establishing and calculate airplane performance for limited weights; Interpretation weather and NOTAM, Crew Briefing; Flight watch and ensuring safe ontime operations; Liaising with external providers such as handling agents, FBOs, fuel suppliers, civil aviation authorities; Post Flight debriefing.
Of course, the pilot and air traffic controller are the people who safely deliver the airplane to planned destination, whereas the flight dispatcher is the one who gives them the necessary tools and resources to do so.
The terms “flight dispatcher”, “aircraft dispatcher” and “flight operations officer” are largely interchangeable depending on the area of the world in which they are used. The term “aircraft dispatcher” is used in the United States, while “flight operations officer” is more common in Europe and Africa, and “flight dispatcher” is typically used in Asia and the Middle East.
The type of person that takes on this sort of work is hard working, meticulous, detail oriented and most importantly, passionate. They leave nothing to chance, no scenario unplanned for, no proverbial stone unturned. Flight dispatching is not a job, it is a calling. They are an integral part of the flight crew, an unseen fourth seat in the cockpit, and the unsung heroes of the sky.
