Flight Dispatcher
Plan flights - fuel, routing, weather and weight balance - working with crew before every departure.
This UK flight dispatcher career guide covers what the role involves day to day, typical salary at each stage, the usual entry route, the skills employers expect, and related careers worth comparing.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £25,000 - £30,000
- Mid-career salary
- £32,000 - £38,000
- Senior salary
- £40,000 - £55,000
- Work environment
- Operations centre, shift work
- Time to entry
- 6 - 18 months (dispatcher licence)
- Degree required
- Not required
- Category
- Aviation and Aerospace
What a Flight Dispatcher does
Plan flights - fuel, routing, weather and weight balance - working with crew before every departure.
How to become a Flight Dispatcher
- Look up Flight Dispatcher roles on LinkedIn or Indeed and read 5 real job ads
- Talk to someone already working as a Flight Dispatcher - even a 15-minute call helps
- Find one beginner course or qualification used by people in this role
- Build one small piece of evidence you've explored this (project, shadowing, short course)
- Apply to one entry-level role or related opportunity within the next month
Key skills
- Numeracy
- Weather literacy
- Communication
- Multi-tasking