A previous study of flight replanning decisions by air transport pilots highlighted the increasing interdependence of flight crews and ground-based operations control staff to ensure safe and efficient flight operations. Although the Pilot in Command has ultimate authority in making decisions, it is clear that Dispatchers and other ground-based personnel are an important resource to support plannning and decision-making by the flight crew.

To examine this interdependence further and to identify areas for improvement, a one-day focus group was held to discuss the interactions of airline Pilots and Dispatchers. Based on the discussions of participants from eight airlines, a variety of important issues were identified.

Three major classes of issues emerged, dealing with communication, training and workload. Communication was seen as the biggest problem and included the following: Difficulty in initiating communication links, poorly formatted messages in which critical information becomes buried, inadequate procedures during the handover of authority, and use of confusing and opaque abbreviations and acronyms. Discussions also identified weaknesses in the training of Dispatchers, Maintenance personnel, Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers, especially training that relates to interactions among these groups and how they can support each other. A final issue was concern with the effects of Dispatcher workload, particularly during bad weather when holdings patterns or diversions become necessary.

Potential areas for improving the current system and for future research were identified.

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