EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
I was coordinating for the [Company] code share. I was watching ACARS for all [Company] flights when Aircraft X messaged that they had been given a hold for a change of runway configuration. Dispatcher X was working that that flight and replied 'Copy; shouldn't be long'. Dispatcher X did not send hold fuel numbers; although it should be noted that the flight did have a planned alternate. Dispatcher X then immediately left the building to pick up breakfast. Dispatcher X did not seem to realize they had another flight inbound to LGA and I did not see them ask anyone to watch their flights. Aircraft Y sent a holding report via ACARS. Aircraft Y was sequenced directly behind Aircraft X on the LGA arrival and did not have a filed alternate. It was Dispatcher X's aircraft. When I noticed that nobody responded to the ACARS I asked the other two dispatchers working Dispatchers Y and Z if the Dispatcher X had asked them to watch his flights. They said no; although Dispatcher Y said that maybe Dispatcher X assumed he was going to watch the desk even though he didn't ask explicitly. Dispatcher Y was on a phone call so I said I would run the numbers. I sent an ACARS at saying 'hold; standby for numbers'. While I was running hold numbers Aircraft Y sent another ACARS at that they had been cleared in to LGA. I acknowledged this and checked to see that Aircraft X had been cleared in to LGA as well. After the Dispatcher X returned to their desk I asked them if they had asked anybody to watch their flights while they were gone. They said something along the lines of 'yeah; these guys' and gestured at the Dispatcher Y and Z. I mentioned that he had another flight that held immediately after Aircraft X and that I had started to run numbers for it until it was cleared in. They were surprised and thanked me. Both flights held only briefly in this instance and arrived safely; but the fact that a Dispatcher left the building knowing he had a flight holding without sending hold fuel numbers or communicating a plan to the Captain; without realizing he had another flight about to hold; and without specifically informing another Dispatcher that he was leaving while a flight was holding and did not seem to think this was a big deal is concerning to me.
Dispatcher reported another Dispatcher left their duty station while they had flights holding without notifying their peers.