Dispatcher / Turnaround Coordinator - Advice Please
 

Hi all,

I'm after advice on how to become Dispatcher / Turnaround Coordinator in the UK. My experience is Ops based but I have ideally always wanted to be a dispatcher.

I had the idea that you needed to get into a company and work your way up to it but surely there must be a more direct entry route for people that really want to do this and are willing to train and have aviation experience.

Would appreciate any info.

Cheers!

What's your local airport(s)? Will help a lot :ok:

Isn't difficult to walk straight into dispatch but it's hard work, long hours, low pay :cool:

Hi 750XL

My local airport is STN - but I'm happy to consider others if there are better opportunities!

Thanks :)

Hi,

Consider what you really want to do. Load Control / Dispatcher requires load sheet certification whereas TC in most cases is managing the turnaround process and not planning the load or producing the loadsheet. You're more likely to walk into a TC role than Dispatcher/LC. Personally, I'd go for an airline over a GH. If you're prepared to invest a bit of time, think about joining an airline and keep an eye on internal vacancies. If you get the right airline you can be trained and certified in Load Control, the pay doesn't have to be shocking and its a hugely rewarding role.

Hope this helps a little.

A1Trainer

Thanks A1trainer - much appreciated. I've kind of restricted myself to looking at STN airlines & GH thus far and opportunities are few and far between.

Will consider looking further afield as its what I would really like to do!!

Thanks :ok:

I'm showing my ignorance now but what airlines other than Virgin and BA would employ their own turnaround coordinators?

Thanks. :)

Jet2 are self handling.

'Dispatcher' and 'TCO' in the UK are generally the same thing.

Other than Virgin, I'm not aware of any airlines that employ their own TCO's/Dispatchers? I know Jet2 do, but the pay is the same as handling agents so no advantage to that.

Even Virgin 'Little Red' TCO's are now Servisair at EDI/ABZ/MAN, and Swissport at LHR.

There's no career in dispatch in the UK other than if you're employed by BA/VS. Handling agents pay £7-£8 depending on location and you won't get much more than that regardless of what skills you have :\

flight dispatcher licence
 

is it possible to get a FLT DISPATCHER LICENCE WITHOUT an appointment letter??

Little Red are handled by Dnata at LHR. And Jet2 only have their own dispatchers at certain stations. GLA and EDI for example only self handled above wing.

Find a job as a TCO / Dispatcher these days are a challenge. BA don't recruit TCO's externally..

If you want to get into a TCO / Dispatch role with an airline directly. I would start at Check-in or something and wait for an internal vacancy.

A dispatcher/tco is the best job in the airport. Its a challenging job, but its good fun and every day is different.

However, the wages are diabolical for the amount of hassle you get when something goes wrong, and also for the amount of responsibility the position carries.That is unless you can get a job with VS or BA doing it, but they are like hens teeth and only at certain airports.

Its been rather frustating over the years having a license running concurrently for BA and VS, but being paid not much more than minimum wage for it, when the folk employed by those airlines are earning circa £30k per year for only requiiring to be knowlegable on one airlines procedures and regulations!!

On the other hand Ive worked hard and my employer have been good to me and ive been rewarded for it so its not all bad on that front.

Most of the Handling Agents in the UK now only recruit temporary staff through employment agencies at the start of the summer season.
Find out which agencies the HA's at STN use and apply to them, although as it's July you may have to wait until next year as most HA's should have their summer staff by now.
If you hear of a new airline starting up/moving routes to STN then you might find one of the HA's recruiting out of season so keep trying!
The pay and hours are awful, but it's the best job on the airport!

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the insight and help. I'll keep my eyes on it and will also try and get in via another job and look out for internal vacancies! It's been a while since I was ops controller at BMED but really hoping to get back into aviation some how! :ok: