Aircraft Dispatcher: Duties & Salary
by Dawn Papandrea
If you're interested in aviation careers but aren't too keen on constant air travel, get grounded, and learn more about aircraft dispatcher jobs.
What does an aircraft dispatcher do?
Next to the on-board captain and co-pilot, an aircraft dispatcher plays one of the most important roles in making sure airline travel is safe, efficient, cost-effective, and seamless. The aircraft dispatcher works with the flight team to ensure the safety of the aircraft, keep watch throughout an entire flight, modify the flight plan if necessary, and get aircrafts to their final destinations as safely and as close to schedule as possible. It's not as simple as sitting back and letting the pilot do his or her job, though.
The aircraft dispatcher has many factors to take into consideration in order to ensure a safe flight from takeoff to arrival. There are weather patterns that must be monitored that could affect the flight including storms, wind, and fog; there's air traffic, meaning the other nearby flights that share an often crowded airspace; and there's always the chance of flight delays and rerouting due to other situations or emergencies that can arise due to outside forces. Working closely with the pilot, the aircraft dispatcher is responsible to release airplanes for flight, follow them over the course of their travel, and help them make safe landings.
The aircraft dispatcher usually works in an airport control room or operations center, and acts as a middleman between the ground team and the flight team to keep everyone updated with regard to flight status. As such, the aircraft dispatcher has a tremendous amount of authority to change flight status, including delaying, diverting, or even canceling flights should a situation warrant it.
How much do aircraft dispatchers get paid and what are some of the benefits of entering this profession?
Working as an aircraft dispatcher can turn into quite a lucrative career once you have a few years of experience under your belt. To start, once you become an FAA-certified flight dispatcher, entry-level salaries are in the $30,000-$40,000 range, depending on the size of the carrier and the region in which you're looking for work. Once you become established, you can move up into supervisory or management positions, or move onto bigger carriers. As aircraft dispatchers gain more experience, their salaries have the potential to grow to over six figures.
In addition to salary and wages, aircraft dispatchers have some other fringe benefits that make the profession appealing. For one, they usually work steady hours, and in one location - something that most aviation-related careers cannot boast. Those who regularly work nights and weekends usually receive some additional compensation (called shift differentials). Benefits packages are usually adequate, and sometimes, employee discounts on air travel may be an added work perk.
What does an aircraft dispatcher do?
Next to the on-board captain and co-pilot, an aircraft dispatcher plays one of the most important roles in making sure airline travel is safe, efficient, cost-effective, and seamless. The aircraft dispatcher works with the flight team to ensure the safety of the aircraft, keep watch throughout an entire flight, modify the flight plan if necessary, and get aircrafts to their final destinations as safely and as close to schedule as possible. It's not as simple as sitting back and letting the pilot do his or her job, though.
The aircraft dispatcher has many factors to take into consideration in order to ensure a safe flight from takeoff to arrival. There are weather patterns that must be monitored that could affect the flight including storms, wind, and fog; there's air traffic, meaning the other nearby flights that share an often crowded airspace; and there's always the chance of flight delays and rerouting due to other situations or emergencies that can arise due to outside forces. Working closely with the pilot, the aircraft dispatcher is responsible to release airplanes for flight, follow them over the course of their travel, and help them make safe landings.
The aircraft dispatcher usually works in an airport control room or operations center, and acts as a middleman between the ground team and the flight team to keep everyone updated with regard to flight status. As such, the aircraft dispatcher has a tremendous amount of authority to change flight status, including delaying, diverting, or even canceling flights should a situation warrant it.
How much do aircraft dispatchers get paid and what are some of the benefits of entering this profession?
Working as an aircraft dispatcher can turn into quite a lucrative career once you have a few years of experience under your belt. To start, once you become an FAA-certified flight dispatcher, entry-level salaries are in the $30,000-$40,000 range, depending on the size of the carrier and the region in which you're looking for work. Once you become established, you can move up into supervisory or management positions, or move onto bigger carriers. As aircraft dispatchers gain more experience, their salaries have the potential to grow to over six figures.
In addition to salary and wages, aircraft dispatchers have some other fringe benefits that make the profession appealing. For one, they usually work steady hours, and in one location - something that most aviation-related careers cannot boast. Those who regularly work nights and weekends usually receive some additional compensation (called shift differentials). Benefits packages are usually adequate, and sometimes, employee discounts on air travel may be an added work perk.
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Delicious
Tweet This!Sound Off! Post Your Comments
You are not currently logged on. Please login to add a comment.
Request Free Information
on Colleges Near You
Find
View Related Careers