The dispatch office is an air operator’s nerve centre where all major decisions involving flight operations are made. A flight dispatcher is like a ground captain. An airline dispatcher makes joint decisions with the flight captain to ensure a safe and efficient flight, including feeding accurate and timely information to the flight deck, and therefore must demonstrate the same level of knowledge and proficiency in decision-making.

Whereas the captain is operating a single aircraft, an airline dispatcher can be responsible for up to 50 aircraft during a single shift, including charting routes and alternates, calculating fuel loads and aircraft weight, monitoring flights (known as “flight watch”) and making decisions whether to divert or cancel flights if an aircraft cannot continue to operate safely. A dispatcher is also plugged into air traffic control to ensure the most efficient routings and minimize air traffic control delays.

Flight dispatchers must be Transport Canada licensed, scoring at least 70 per cent on every exam. A WestJet Flight Dispatcher requires extensive knowledge of aviation regulations, aeronautical charts, meteorology, air traffic control systems, aircraft performance, air navigation and communications.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, flight dispatch jobs are expected to grow at an annual rate of 12 per cent over the next five years as older dispatchers retire, aircraft systems become more complex and the skies become more crowded. As the rate of retirement for air traffic controllers increases over the next five years, flight operations centres are going to be competing with NAV CANADA and other air navigation service providers for the same skills.A commercial pilot licence, flight services specialist experience, air traffic control experience or related experience within a flight operations centre can improve career prospects, especially with the larger air carriers.