Job profile and training requirements of

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Job profile and training requirements of
European flight dispatchers
2
Agenda
1 General 2 Survey results 3 IOSA Auditing 4
Consequences
3
What?

• Dissertation as part of a Masters Degree
  Programme inAir Transport Management
• London City University
• Title Job profile and training requirements of
  European Flight Dispatchers
• Impartial, not politically motivated

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Who?

• Andreas Cordes, 41 years old
• Ex Lufthansa Captain
• Experience on B747-400, B737, A319/20/21
• Licensed Flight Dispatcher (Germany)
• IOSA Lead Auditor and Trainer

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Goals

• Evaluate the environment of FOO/FDs in Europe
  anddefine a job profile
• Analyze Operator specific differences
• What kind of training is required in order to get
  the job done?
• Assess the market chances for such a training
  course

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A word about licenses

• It is not the purpose of the study to answer the
  question, whether FOO/FDs should be licensed
• The issue is highly political and worth a study
  of its own
• ? But
• the study will deliver arguments for the
  discussion

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Confidentialty

• The study has not been completed yet
• Content as presented here is tentative and shall
  not be copied and distributed
• EUFALDA will receive the full paper as soon as
  it has been released by the University

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Agenda
1 General 2 Survey results 3 IOSA Auditing 4
Consequences
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Participants

• Questionnaire has been sent to 140 Operators
• All sizes, all business models, all 32 JAA
  member states
• Feedback received from 42 Operators
• 24 countries covered
• Unfortunately very little feedback from
• ? UK ? Low-Cost Carriers

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Staff numbers

• Survey covers the work of 972 Flight Dispatchers
• Being responsible for 1807 aircraft
• Staff ratio 0,54 FOO/FD per aircraft
• Ratio varies, depending on the type of operation

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Licensing 1

• The majority is unlicensed

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Licensing 2

• Small Operators rely more on unlicensed staff
• FAA License is popular for small operators
• Turbo-prop and regional operators have the least
  licensed dispatchers

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Hiring 1

• 1/3 of all Operators require staff to be licensed
• These Operators prefer a license issued by their
  authority- followed by FAA license- and only
  then accept other EU countrys licenses
• EU licenses are isolated

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Hiring 2

• Most Operators require previous airline
  experience

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Hiring 3

• Most Operators have hiring difficulties

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Hiring 4

• Average on-the-job training for new-entrants is 3
  months
• Unlicensed staff does not receive more on-the-job
  training? No compensation of training
  deficiencies

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Interfaces/Work environment/Tools

• Highlights
• Primary interfaces for FOO/FDs are
• Cockpit Crew Flow Management Unit Line
  maintenance staff
• FOO/FDs in small Operators have more interfaces
  than others
• Unlicensed staff uses complex material less often
  (MEL, Performance Manuals)

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Tasks and duties

• Very detailed data are available in the study
• Only highlights are presented here
• Activities are summarized in an activity index
• For
• - Preflight assistance- Operational Control-
  In-flight assistance- Other activities

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Tasks and duties Preflight assistance

• Type of operation determines level of pre-flight
  assistance
• Unlicensed staff is almost equally involved

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Tasks and duties Operational Control

• All groups of FOO/FDs are equally active in
  operational control duties
• Exception executive operators

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Tasks and duties In-flight assistance

• Level of in-flight assistance varies by operator
  type
• Remarkable Many operators provide
  flight-following
• Small Operators provide less in-flight assistance

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Tasks and duties Other activities

• FOO/FDs that work for small operators are kept
  busy with commercial activities (scheduling,
  bookings.)

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Agenda
1 General 2 Survey results 3 IOSA Auditing 4
Consequences
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IOSA Audits

• European Operators have more findings in the
  Dispatch section, especially
• Initial training
• and
• recurrent training

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IOSA Audits

• Operational problems discovered in IOSA audits

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IOSA Audits

• IOSA Auditing is extremely difficult in the
  European environment because
• ? U.S. and Europe are treated with identical
  standards
• ConsequenceIOSA standards have completely
  changed in late 2006
• Highlight Introduction of the Flight Operations
  Assistant (FOA) to help EU carriers meet the
  standard
• EUFALDA is strongly recommended to become
  familiar with the new concept !!

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Agenda
1 General 2 Survey results 3 IOSA Auditing 4
Consequences
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Consequences I

• European FOO/FDs perform work that meets the
  definition of ICAO Annex VI in the new version of
  2006
• But
• Many FOO/FD are not adequately qualified
• Training deficiencies are obvious, large spread
  exists between groups of Operators
• Hence
• Formal basic dispatch training is needed for all
  FOO/FDs Most existing programmes do not meet
  industry needs

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Consequences II

• Operators believe that a 3 mth. training would be
  adequate

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Consequences III

• Market chances of such training is limited
• because
• ? Training is not mandatory in most countries
• ? Operators are not willing to pay
• ? FAA training is cheaper and shorter
• Possible solution
• ?Minimum training could become mandatory
  irrespective of a licensing requirement
• No change in regulation to be expected before
  EASA has full competence

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Thank you!

• for your attention
• and
• for your support !

Have a successful venue in Iceland !
In case of questions, please contact andreas.co
rdes_at_online.de