B777-200
Dispatch Dispatcher
Time Pressure; Distraction; Confusion; Troubleshooting; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
In about an hour when I took the desk a flight reported that ATC in ZZZZ area issued very long reroute and crew asked for help and figure out what was the reason for the offset. I advised OM; chief dispatcher and ATC coordinator desk for help to figure that out because dispatcher is not supposed to call ATC facility directly. The investigation took some time and in about 30-40 min crew reported that ATC put them back on filed route. Such deviation cost fuel and crew started thinking about a fuel stop somewhere [along the route]. Crew calculations along with mine showed that REMF [Remaining fuel] dropped down from 16.0 down to 12.5 lb or about an hour. Optimizing route did not make a difference to save fuel so I advised the crew that we were working on possible fuel stop preferably at online station. Crew decided to continue to their filed destination and make a final decision later based on fuel progress. Further investigation proved that Sabre handled airspace restriction but due to 40 mins delay it put the flight thru the time frame when restricted airspace become active.
Dispatcher reported a B777 crew on an international flight was rerouted by foreign ATC which cost time and fuel. Dispatch discovered later that a 45 minute airspace restriction along their filed route necessitated the reroute.