Flight dispatcher

A flight dispatcher (also known as an airline dispatcher or flight operations officer) assists in planning flight paths, taking into account aircraft performance and loading, enroute winds, thunderstorm and turbulence forecasts, airspace restrictions, and airport conditions. Dispatchers also provide a flight following service and advise pilots if conditions change. They usually work in the operations center of the airline. In the United States and Canada, the flight dispatcher shares legal responsibility with the commander of the aircraft (joint responsibility dispatch system).

Dispatchers usually share responsibility for the exercise of operational control, which gives them authority to divert, delay or cancel a flight. Legal requirements known as "14 CFR part 121" govern dispatch release in the United States. After the release of a flight (in a joint responsibility environment) the dispatcher uses sophisticated software tools to monitor the flight's progress and advises the flight crew of any circumstances that might affect flight safety. They are in constant communication with the air crew and could be contacted through phone, radio, and ACARS (aircraft communications and reporting system). Shared responsibility adds a layer of checks and balances to aircraft operation and greatly improves safety.

Joint Aviation Authorities (JAR) OPS 1 did mandate the use of an operational control system with flight dispatchers/joint responsibility/flight watch. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has implemented operational control system requirements and continues to develop enhanced training standards for flight operations officers and flight dispatchers to align with ICAO Annex 6 provisions."

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), headquartered in Montreal, is the civil aviation branch of the UN (United Nations). ICAO states that the operator (the airline), is responsible for the operational control of its flights and only recognizes dispatch systems using flight dispatchers/flight operations officers as the means to control and supervise flights in Annex 6, Part 1, Chapter 3. Chapter 4 of Annex 6 describes the duties of flight dispatchers/flight operations officers while Chapter 10 of Annex 6 describes the training and qualification requirements for flight dispatchers/flight operations officers. ICAO has updated its guidance with Document 10106, 'Manual on Flight Operations Officers/Flight Dispatchers Competency-based Training and Assessment' (2024), which provides current standards for competency-based training programs

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.

A dispatcher must be certified by the aviation authority of the country in which they operate or have a base of operations, such as the DGCA in India and the FAA/DOT (Federal Aviation Administration/Department of Transportation) in the United States. In order to obtain a certificate, a candidate must demonstrate extensive knowledge of meteorology and of aviation in general, to a level comparable to the holder of an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate.

The FAA ATP and the FAA Dispatcher (ADX) written exams are similar. For airlines operating under 14 CFR Part 135, dispatching duties and responsibilities are actually designated to "flight followers." The main difference between a flight dispatcher and a flight follower is that the latter does not share legal responsibility for the operation of a flight. In addition, a flight follower is not required to obtain a dispatcher's certificate, although he or she is usually encouraged to do so by the airline for which they work and will probably not be employed as a flight follower if they do not have the dispatcher certificate.

Many countries issue licenses or certificates which are based on ICAO Annex 1 and 6 as well as ICAO DOC 7192 D3. Unfortunately not all countries have adopted a mandatory license/certification and joint responsibility/flight watch operational control systems. The FAA has mandated the use of flight dispatchers/joint responsibility/flight watch since the "Civil Aeronautic Act" was passed in 1938. Canada has adopted a similar approach in the wake of the Air Ontario Flight 1363 plane crash in Dryden, Ontario, in 1989. Due to several more accidents, the FAA is lobbying the ICAO for tighter regulations.