B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
I woke and downloaded the flight plan and loaded into JEPPFD-PRO. I glanced at the route and prognostic chart and saw no issues of concern. After reviewing NOTAMS I saw three active volcanoes on our route of flight with ash plumes up to FL500. I checked the winds aloft on our flight plan and saw the wind was blowing from 330/63 which would put ash directly across our route of flight. I reviewed our documents again looking for a volcanic ash report. Nothing was included. I emailed dispatch and asked for the reports. I was emailed back nothing available; no activity on our route of flight. I replied that the UHHH FIR had several active volcanoes within 60 miles of our route. I sent a picture of the NOTAMS of concern. He indicated that they were not active. The words: 1. underway+possible at any time 2. In Progress. 3. Aviation alert color orange Alerted me there might be a problem.Upon arrival at the jet the stairs were not in place and maintenance was performing a procedure on the left engine which was not recorded in the logbook. We waited in crew bus 12-15 minutes for stairs. The stairs were placed and the brake riding mechanics vacated then we boarded. Dispatch was again advised as soon as SAT phone was available that our route of flight was potentially unsafe. The dispatcher and the Captain agreed to disagree and the Chief Pilot was called. The Chief Pilot and the Captain agreed that the flight plan route was not acceptable and a re-route was planned. We departed and received our new routing North of the volcanic activity; with no adverse flight characteristics expect for some occasional moderate turbulence that was unavoidable. We than received an ACARS message from Dispatch that another flight had transited our original flight plan routing thru the UHHH FIR with the active 'underway+possible at any time; in progress and aviation alert color orange notams'. With no adverse effect. I am extremely disappointed that a dispatcher would not require all flights to avoid these NOTAM'ed conditions. I believe that the risk was not acceptable and the route decision ignored safety and was planned only to increase payload for these flights. The Captain pulled up flight tracker and there were no other carrier flights on our original planned route thru UHHH FIR. All other carrier flights were planned north or well South of the NOTAM'ed Area. It is my opinion that safety was compromised by the dispatcher by allowing the flight to proceed thru the area and by not amending our route when he was informed.Every effort was made by the crew to prevent a departure delay except operating on a potentially unsafe route.
B777 First Officer reported the company Dispatcher planned the flight through an area of potential volcanic ash.