(影片來源：財團法人中華航空事業發展基金會)
(影片來源：A+Talents Channel)
航空公司簽派員是一個比較少人知道的職務。簽派員主要工作是擬定飛航計畫與簽派航機，並與飛行員溝通，雙方同意計畫內容才能合法航行，因此簽派員也被稱作是「地面上的飛行員」。在多數航空制度（例如美國），飛行計畫需由簽派員與機長共同簽署後才能放行，任何一方若不同意，航班通常不得起飛，雙方在飛安上具有共同責任。
簽派員通常會待在機場辦公室工作，掌握空中每一架飛機的動向。像是颱風來要注意風速有沒有超過限制，檢查航路有沒有經過颱風圈。又像是俄羅斯有火山灰，就得即時通知飛行員，確認飛行路線油料是否充足。延伸閱讀：《知識》飛機油量與載重平衡
以下整理簽派員在不同飛行階段的工作內容
起飛前
- 檢查飛機狀況（故障、維修狀態）
- 分析起飛地、目的地與備降機場的天氣與場站條件
- 查閱飛航公告（NOTAM）與空域限制
- 計算油量（含備用油、等待油等）
- 規劃安全且有效率的飛行航線
- 製作飛航計畫並與機長討論、修正
- 雙方確認並簽署飛行放行文件（Dispatch Release）
飛行中
- 持續監控航班位置與飛行情況
- 追蹤天氣變化（雷雨、亂流、火山灰等）
- 必要時提供改航建議或重新計算油量
- 與機組人員保持聯繫，提供地面支援
- 協助處理突發狀況（如機械問題、航路變更）
降落後
- 確認航班安全抵達並結束監控
- 彙整飛行資料與相關紀錄
- 回報異常狀況（如延誤、改航原因）
- 協助後續航班銜接與調度規劃
- 檢討飛航計畫與實際執行差異，作為未來優化依據
每趟飛行前，簽派員必須先檢查飛機的狀況，例如是否有故障、維修狀態如何等。接著視當日起飛地、目的地、備降機場的天氣情況是否符合派飛條件，並注意當時的飛航公告做出航機是否能起飛、航行或是終止等決定。
完成基本的飛航確認後，簽派員必須考慮天氣狀況和預計的載客貨重量，計算從起飛地到目的地所需的油量，規劃可行之航線，並且詳細列出每個航段的消耗油量及飛行時間。
簽派員將所有資訊整合後，擬定一份飛航計畫。由於真正執行飛航計畫的是飛行員，因此簽派員必須與飛行員確認計畫的內容、進行飛航文件彙整及飛航前的任務提示，雙方都同意飛航計畫並簽名後，一個航班才算完成。若機長對計畫（例如航路或油量）有疑慮，會與簽派員討論並調整，但在正式流程上，機長不能單方面修改飛行計畫後直接起飛，仍需重新取得雙方同意。
若有緊急狀況發生，例如天氣不佳、鳥擊事件、飛機機械故障等，簽派員必須與各部門協調溝通，盡快修正計畫。簽派員基於航機安全考量，有權決定飛機是否可以執行任務。往往天氣因素導致航班取消，皆是由簽派員與航空公司評估後所做的決定。此外，飛機一旦起飛後，若遇到突發狀況，機長基於即時安全考量，擁有最終決定權，可以直接調整航路或改降機場，再與簽派員保持聯繫與後續協調。
簽派員為配合班機時程，工作時間為 24 小時輪三班制。不固定的工作時間容易造成身體負擔，加上擬定的飛航計畫關乎整架飛機上所有人的安全，只要有一個失誤就可能影響其他航班或航線、危及飛航安全，因此在高壓的工作環境下，簽派員需要具備夠強的抗壓性。
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The Ground Pilot: An Introduction to Airline Dispatchers
An airline flight dispatcher is a job that many people are not familiar with. The main responsibilities of a dispatcher are to prepare flight plans, release flights, and communicate with pilots. A flight can only operate legally when both the dispatcher and the pilot agree on the plan, which is why dispatchers are sometimes called “pilots on the ground.” In most aviation systems (such as in the United States), a flight plan must be signed off by both the dispatcher and the captain before departure. If either side does not agree, the flight is usually not allowed to take off. Both parties share responsibility for flight safety.Dispatchers usually work in airport operations offices and monitor the status of every flight in the air. For example, during a typhoon, they must check whether wind speeds exceed safety limits and whether flight routes pass through the storm area. If there is volcanic ash in a region (such as in Russia), they must immediately notify pilots and confirm whether fuel is sufficient for a safe route.
Below is a summary of dispatcher duties at different flight stages:
Before Departure
- Check aircraft status (maintenance and technical issues)
- Analyze weather and airport conditions at departure, destination, and alternate airports
- Review NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) and airspace restrictions
- Calculate fuel requirements (including reserve and holding fuel)
- Plan a safe and efficient flight route
- Prepare the flight plan and discuss it with the captain for adjustments
- Both parties confirm and sign the dispatch release document
- Continuously monitor flight position and status
- Track weather changes (storms, turbulence, volcanic ash, etc.)
- Provide rerouting suggestions or recalculate fuel when needed
- Maintain communication with the flight crew and provide ground support
- Assist in handling unexpected situations (such as technical issues or route changes)
- Confirm the flight has safely arrived and end monitoring
- Collect and organize flight data and records
- Report any abnormalities (such as delays or rerouting reasons)
- Support planning and coordination of future flights
- Review differences between planned and actual flight performance for improvement
Before each flight, dispatchers first check the aircraft's condition, including whether there are any technical issues or maintenance concerns. They then evaluate whether weather conditions at the departure airport, destination, and alternate airports meet safety requirements. They also review current aviation notices to decide whether the flight can depart, continue, or be canceled.
After completing the basic safety checks, dispatchers consider weather conditions and expected passenger and cargo weight to calculate the required fuel. They then plan a feasible route and list detailed fuel consumption and flight time for each segment.
Once all information is combined, the dispatcher prepares a flight plan. Since pilots are the ones who actually operate the flight, the dispatcher must review the plan with the pilot, complete all flight documents, and conduct a pre-flight briefing. The flight only proceeds when both sides agree and sign the plan. If the captain has concerns about the route or fuel, they will discuss and adjust it with the dispatcher. However, in official procedures, the captain cannot unilaterally modify the flight plan and depart without renewed mutual agreement.
In emergencies such as bad weather, bird strikes, or mechanical failures, dispatchers must coordinate with different departments to quickly revise the plan. For safety reasons, dispatchers have the authority to decide whether a flight can operate. Many weather-related cancellations are made after evaluation by both the dispatcher and the airline. However, once the aircraft has taken off, the captain has final authority in real-time safety decisions and may reroute or divert the flight. The dispatcher remains in contact for coordination.
Dispatchers work on a 24-hour rotating shift schedule to match flight operations. Irregular working hours can be physically demanding. Since flight plans affect the safety of everyone on board, even a small mistake can impact other flights or air traffic and may threaten aviation safety. Therefore, dispatchers must have strong stress tolerance in this high-pressure environment.
