What is an Airline Dispatcher?
Airline Dispatchers are highly trained individuals who hold a valid FAA Aircraft Dispatcher certificate. They are employed by individual airlines and work in the airline’s operational control center, sometimes known as System Operations Control Centers, Flight Control, Flight Dispatch or just Dispatch. Dispatchers control and coordinate all functions of the airline. Dispatch serves as the airline’s “Mission Control”. The dispatch office is the airline’s nerve center. All major decisions concerning the airline’s operation are made, whether it be regional or global in scope. FAA licensed Aircraft Dispatchers work in these centers. Airline Dispatchers are “not” Air Traffic Controllers. Air Traffic Controllers work for the FAA, and separate air traffic. Think of Air Traffic Controllers as “traffic cops”. Airline Dispatchers are the ground equivalent to the Airline Captain. Captain and Dispatcher exercise joint decision making and shared authority during the airline flight operation. The FA
