In addition to providing a flight following service and advising pilots if conditions change, dispatchers share legal responsibility with the aircraft commander in the Joint Responsibility Dispatch System. Part of a Dispatcher’s duties include:
Calculations of:
- Fuel load
- Loading of luggage on the airplane
- Weight and passenger seating assignments
- Weight and balance for take-off and landing
- Alternate runways of the routes to be flown
- Last minute changes
Coordination of:
- Service and flight safety equipment
- Airport positioning systems
- Emergency services
- De-icing and anti-icing service providers
- Domestic and international crew transportation
- Crew accommodations and overnight stays
- Extra in-flight crews (Jump seats)
Analysis of:
- Weather conditions.
- Aircraft route and navigation.
- Availability of crew assigned to the flight.
- Aircraft airworthiness conditions.
- Aircraft take-off performance conditions
- Aircraft performance calculations according to departure and arrival airport
Verification of:
- Aircraft cleanliness.
- Aircraft position at any time during the flight.
- Communication with flight crew at any time during the flight.
- Filling out forms related to the operation.
In addition you must communicate to the aircraft captain during a pre-flight meeting the result of all these tasks performed.