Question about the basis for dispatchers

Victor Squawk

Well-Known Member
How many planes must an airline have in its active fleet that it starts to need a dispatcher?

I don't know much about how a scrappy regional airline is run but if it has less than 10 planes, does it just have one dispatcher to take care of them?

Or else, do they dispatch their planes somehow (either the pilots or the management) until their fleet grows? If so, what's the magic number of planes that presents the demand for dedicated dispatchers?
 
Unfortunately there’s no hard formula that’s used to calculate manpower vs. fleet size in terms of Dispatchers. Some groups have Contractual language that uses flights or block hours vs. manpower. But I believe the official guidance from the FAA is to be staffed enough so that a safe operation is conducted.
 
Unfortunately there’s no hard formula that’s used to calculate manpower vs. fleet size in terms of Dispatchers. Some groups have Contractual language that uses flights or block hours vs. manpower. But I believe the official guidance from the FAA is to be staffed enough so that a safe operation is conducted.
That's pretty interesting. I'm new to this, would you point me to the regulation that articulates the guidance?
 
That's pretty interesting. I'm new to this, would you point me to the regulation that articulates the guidance?

CFR 121.533 outlines the definition of operational control. If the dispatch workload is high so that he/ she can’t execute the responsibilities outlined in this CFR, then you need more people or the dispatcher needs to manage their own workload so as to maintain operational control.
 
Some carriers operate consistently around the clock and others (regionals) not so much. There is nothing spelled out for how many are required because there are so many variables. You can work a lot more flights when you have short domestic hops than you can transcons or flag flights simply because of the nature of planning a longer flight and then flight following it. The FAA typically avoids trying to tell carriers how to run their business and how many they need on a shift.
 
Some carriers operate consistently around the clock and others (regionals) not so much. There is nothing spelled out for how many are required because there are so many variables. You can work a lot more flights when you have short domestic hops than you can transcons or flag flights simply because of the nature of planning a longer flight and then flight following it. The FAA typically avoids trying to tell carriers how to run their business and how many they need on a shift.
Well thats pretty nice. I like that balance of regulatory involvement.
 
As far as fleet size to require a dispatcher, it doesn't matter the fleet size. It has to do with the type of flight. For instance, they could have just 2 aircraft. But if they are operating part 121 flights, they must have a licensed dispatcher plan and flight-follow those flights.
 
At airlines with substantial fleet sizes, once the FAA and back office receive enough reports of task overload, they'll get around to apportioning a manageable number of flights and dispatchers per shift. If you get a job with an established carrier, for the most part there's already been a reasonable process to allocate a manageable amount of desks and dispatchers to carry the workload.

Some airlines, such as the one I work for, have "workload committees" established by the union to review and consider potential desk workloads according to flight schedules. Another airline I know of assigns a "points" system depending on flight complexities (duration, ETOPS, international, reclears).
 
As far as fleet size to require a dispatcher, it doesn't matter the fleet size. It has to do with the type of flight. For instance, they could have just 2 aircraft. But if they are operating part 121 flights, they must have a licensed dispatcher plan and flight-follow those flights.

this is truth!

bit a small fleet means you usually have a greeter range of reponsibikties as a “dispatcher” job title than at a airline with hundreds of airframes.

yiu may also be the crew scheduled, the ground handling. Set up person. The customes guy. The overly permits guy.

my Time as a dispatcher as a small (albeit supplemental) carrier was very eye opening to the whole picture of operating an airline beyond flight releases and following.
 
Technically this only applies to 121 Domestic/Flag operation. If the company is strictly 121 supplemental, legally dispatchers are not required. (If I remember correctly.) Does not mean they don't have them but they (dispatchers) will not have the same authority in supplemental ops versus Domestic/Flag ops.
 
Technically this only applies to 121 Domestic/Flag operation. If the company is strictly 121 supplemental, legally dispatchers are not required. (If I remember correctly.) Does not mean they don't have them but they (dispatchers) will not have the same authority in supplemental ops versus Domestic/Flag ops.

For dispatchers this is true, but the position just gets labeled as something else because of 121.537. Hence flight followers, flight controllers, paper pilots, and whatever else they want to toss in the bucket while you juggle multiple hats. I don't think the FAA would agree with Sir/Madam Director of Operations juggling flights 24/7 while working their director duties.
 
For dispatchers this is true, but the position just gets labeled as something else because of 121.537. Hence flight followers, flight controllers, paper pilots, and whatever else they want to toss in the bucket while you juggle multiple hats. I don't think the FAA would agree with Sir/Madam Director of Operations juggling flights 24/7 while working their director duties.
But it sounds pretty cool to be the local superman of a scrappy airline

I mean, I don't think I truly know what I'm talking about here, but I bet I would learn a TON of stuff
 
this is truth!

bit a small fleet means you usually have a greeter range of reponsibikties as a “dispatcher” job title than at a airline with hundreds of airframes.

yiu may also be the crew scheduled, the ground handling. Set up person. The customes guy. The overly permits guy.

my Time as a dispatcher as a small (albeit supplemental) carrier was very eye opening to the whole picture of operating an airline beyond flight releases and following.
It sounds hard but rewarding, and actually it made me seriously consider trying it. There's a church plant in Idaho that needs support in terms of presence and finance and I received an invitation to serve there, but the only airlines I found there were either 5-7 hours away (like Empire airlines) or very, very small (I think the company employs less than 10 people overall, not counting pilots since I don't know how to guess how many they've got)
 
At airlines with substantial fleet sizes, once the FAA and back office receive enough reports of task overload, they'll get around to apportioning a manageable number of flights and dispatchers per shift. If you get a job with an established carrier, for the most part there's already been a reasonable process to allocate a manageable amount of desks and dispatchers to carry the workload.

Some airlines, such as the one I work for, have "workload committees" established by the union to review and consider potential desk workloads according to flight schedules. Another airline I know of assigns a "points" system depending on flight complexities (duration, ETOPS, international, reclears).
That helps me develop my understanding of the differences between airlines in terms of how they do their dispatch operations. It's another good piece of the puzzle to help me connect the dots.
 
As far as fleet size to require a dispatcher, it doesn't matter the fleet size. It has to do with the type of flight. For instance, they could have just 2 aircraft. But if they are operating part 121 flights, they must have a licensed dispatcher plan and flight-follow those flights.
Got it!
 
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