Commercial Fixed Wing
Dispatch Dispatcher
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Staffing; Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy
Requiring all company dispatchers to complete parallel flight releases using a new; unfamiliar system as well as assigning company computer based training during scheduled work shifts that require us to do our position as dispatchers maintaining operational control and flight following up to 20 plus flights at a time is a safety concern as it distracts from flight following and operational control with an already increased load due to poor staffing. You wouldn't require pilots to fly same flight path using flight sim at same time while in control of aircraft or require them to do a hazmat CBT while in cruise?Someone with no knowledge of dispatch or flight planning forced an unfamiliar and unproven system on 3 airlines. Have appropriate shift overlap if requiring training during same time to where dispatchers aren't in operational control.
A Dispatcher reported the difficulty he experienced when required to maintain operational control of 20 flights while concurrent training on an unfamiliar system and completing computer based training. An understaffed Dispatch during multi-airline integration was a contributing factor.