Commercial Fixed Wing
Dispatch Dispatcher
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing
I inherited approximately 20 flights from the afternoon shift; and I was scheduled to plan an additional 58 flights; with most of them scheduled to calculate out in a 3 hour window. This is an excessive amount of flights to expect a dispatcher to plan; even with the evening's fair terminal and enroute weather. The additional shifts that are being added are not keeping up with the increase in the schedule. Throw summer thunderstorms into the mix and we're looking at a potential safety issue with flights delayed awaiting their release and flights being held on the ground due to operational control issues. We're all aware that the furloughs have been recalled and a new hire class is on its way; but even once all of them are trained; they'll only be able to partially cover all the current open shifts. Those of us on the midnight shift are wondering what's in the works to help us now?Management has not adequately staffed the dispatch office; even after numerous pleas from individual dispatchers and the dispatch union. The company is dangerously close to being in violation of 14 CFR 121.395:'Aircraft dispatcher: Domestic and flag operations - Each certificate holder conducting domestic or flag operations shall provide enough qualified aircraft dispatchers at each dispatch center to ensure proper operational control of each flight.'To maintain proper operational control one domestic midnight shift dispatcher should be responsible for two desks; not the current three.
Midnight shift Dispatcher reported the workload was close to violating FAR 121.395; and that even with furlough recalls and new hires; dispatchers are overloaded.