A320
Dispatch Dispatcher
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Staffing; Environment - Non Weather Related
I'm currently a line holder on the afternoon shift. Today due to the Company's inability to appropriately staff the office I was scheduled to work the first hour on Desk X and then move to the ATC Coordinator Position when another afternoon shift Dispatcher arrives an hour after me. When I accept the shift on Desk X I have approximately 6 releases due in the first hour of the shift. At this time I am also signing into the applications on the desk in order to maintain situational awareness and begin my shift briefing. Due to the Company not being able to adequately staff the office and thus having me move to the ATC Coordinator position after the first hour this does not give me sufficient time to comply with FAR 121.599 prior to having to accomplish these releases before I am expected to complete a shift turnover to the oncoming Dispatcher. This situation also sets both dispatchers up to fail as I don't feel I was adequately self-briefed to provide a comprehensive shift turnover to the incoming Dispatcher. At the time there was significant weather impact at a Mid West airport with thunderstorms. When the afternoon shift Dispatcher arrived I had not been able to complete the releases on the worksheet in the one hour which now puts this Dispatcher behind on the workload when they assume operational control of the shift.
A Dispatcher reported that Company policy has their Dispatch Center under staffed and unable to complete the FAR dispatch duties particularly at shift change and brief times.