Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Dispatch Dispatcher
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Human Factors
Aircraft X was being test flown and repositioned to ZZZ1 from ZZZ following maintenance in ZZZ as flight 1234. In preparation for the following flight; 5678 to ZZZ2; an amended release was sent with a change of tail number; as the flight had originally been on a different aircraft and the alternate was changed. This was done with the understanding that the release could not be accessed by the crew if the aircraft remained red tailed for a maintenance issue. The captain was advised of the tail swap via crew text message. At the time; I was unadvised and unaware of the additional maintenance action that had to be taken to clear the airplane for revenue flying. After my shift had ended; the plane departed for ZZZ2 without the necessary actions taken to clear the airplane for revenue flying.When the release was sent; a message popped up advising that there was an open maintenance item on the airplane and asked if the release was to be sent with the open maintenance item. Yes was selected and there was no communication with maintenance control regarding the open maintenance items at that time. I would suggest that releases are not sent or not allowed to be sent while an aircraft is red tailed and the flight crew should not be able to print a release if the airplane has an open maintenance item. Clearer communications should be established between maintenance control and dispatch; specifically concerning open maintenance items and any special action that must be taken by maintenance to clear an aircraft for revenue flying.
DHC-8 Dispatcher reported an aircraft was dispatched after a post maintenance inspection ferry flight that indicated the aircraft needed additional maintenance.