Weather Monitoring & Decision Support
Flight Operations › Flight Dispatch & Control · 15 L4 steps · 5 phases · 5 decision gates · Updated 2026-03-18 22:46
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Process Flow Diagram (BPMN)
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L4 Process Steps
| Step | Step Name | Role / Swim Lane | System | Input | Output | KPI | Dec? | Exc? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase 1 1.1 |
Ingest METAR/TAF feeds from NWS/NOAA | Meteorological Dispatcher | Honeywell GoDirect Weather | Automated weather station transmissions from NWS ASOS/AWOS network | Normalised METAR/TAF data loaded into weather workstation | Data refresh latency ≤5 min for all airports in route network | N | N |
| 1.2 | Ingest SIGMET, AIRMET & convective outlook | Meteorological Dispatcher | The Weather Company (DTN) AviationSentry | NWS Aviation Weather Center SIGMET/AIRMET issuances; convective outlooks (Day 1–3) | Active SIGMET/AIRMET polygons overlaid on route map | 100% of active domestic SIGMETs captured within 10 min of NWS issuance | N | N |
| 1.3 | Validate data currency and completeness | Meteorological Dispatcher | Honeywell GoDirect Weather | All ingested weather feeds from steps 1.1 and 1.2 | Data quality flag (Pass/Fail) per station; stale-data alerts for gaps >30 min | ≥98% of route-relevant stations reporting within 30-min window at pre-departure check | Y | Y |
Phase 2 2.1 |
Analyse route-specific weather hazards | Meteorological Dispatcher | The Weather Company (DTN) AviationSentry | Active SIGMETs, radar composites, turbulence prog charts, icing PIREPs | Route weather hazard summary per flight: turbulence, icing, CB/convective activity, low-level wind shear flags | Hazard assessment completed ≥45 min before scheduled departure (D-45) | N | N |
| 2.2 | Assess departure, destination & alternate wx | Meteorological Dispatcher | Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro | Current METAR/TAF for departure, destination, and minimum two alternates | Ceiling/visibility/wind report per airport; go/no-go flag against FAR Part 121.619 alternate minima | Alternate airport identification completed for 100% of IFR releases within D-60 | N | Y |
| 2.3 | Classify weather threat level against ops specs | Senior Dispatcher / Duty Manager | The Weather Company (DTN) AviationSentry | Route hazard summary from 2.1; airport assessments from 2.2; airline ops specs (OpSpec A002/A025) | Threat classification: Green / Amber / Red per flight; Amber/Red triggers reroute or hold evaluation | Zero flights released into Red-classified weather corridor without Duty Manager override sign-off | Y | Y |
Phase 3 3.1 |
Cross-reference weather threats with flight plans | Flight Dispatcher | NAVBLUE N-Flight Planning | Red/Amber threat polygons from 2.3; active flight plan waypoints and airways | Conflict list: flights whose planned route intersects active hazard polygon within ±30 NM buffer | 100% of active flight plans checked against current SIGMET polygons pre-departure | N | N |
| 3.2 | Calculate fuel burn impact of weather deviations | Flight Dispatcher | NAVBLUE N-Flight Planning | Proposed deviation routing around hazard polygons; aircraft performance model (B737-800/MAX 8) | Revised fuel burn delta vs. filed plan; go/no-go flag against minimum fuel uplift threshold | Fuel recalculation turnaround ≤8 min per rerouted flight to preserve D-45 release window | N | Y |
| 3.3 | Verify alternate airport weather acceptability | Flight Dispatcher | Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro | Revised alternate candidates after route deviation; current METAR/TAF at alternate(s) | Confirmed alternate airport(s) meeting FAR 121.619 ceiling/visibility minima at ETA ±1 hr | Alternate confirmation completed for 100% of IFR dispatch releases before crew briefing | Y | Y |
Phase 4 4.1 |
Issue or withhold dispatch weather release | Flight Dispatcher | NAVBLUE N-Flight Planning | Approved routing, fuel plan, and alternate from Phase 3; threat classification from 2.3 | Signed dispatch release (FAR 121.663) with weather addendum; or hold notification to crew scheduling | ≤2% of departures held >30 min beyond SOBT for weather-related dispatch rework | N | Y |
| 4.2 | Brief flight crew on significant weather via EFB | Flight Dispatcher | Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro (EFB) | Dispatch release with weather addendum; radar snapshots; SIGMET polygons; turbulence PIREPs | Weather briefing package pushed to crew EFB ≥30 min before departure; crew acknowledgment record | Crew acknowledgment of weather briefing received for 100% of Amber/Red-classified departures | N | N |
| 4.3 | Confirm crew acceptance of dispatch release | Pilot-in-Command | Telex / SITA ACARS | Dispatch release and weather briefing from 4.2 | Crew acceptance message (ACARS uplink) or crew request for amended release | Crew acceptance ACARS message received ≥20 min before SOBT for 95% of departures | Y | Y |
Phase 5 5.1 |
Monitor en-route convective activity in real time | Flight Dispatcher | The Weather Company (DTN) AviationSentry | Airborne flight position data (ADS-B via FlightAware); updated radar mosaics refreshed every 5 min | Live flight track overlaid on convective radar; proximity alert if cell within 30 NM of track | Dispatcher workstation refresh ≤5 min; proximity alert generated within 2 min of threshold breach | N | N |
| 5.2 | Evaluate PIREP and crew weather deviation reports | Flight Dispatcher | Telex / SITA ACARS | In-flight PIREP uplinks (turbulence severity, icing level, CB observations); crew position reports | Updated route hazard picture; PIREP filed with ATC for distribution to following aircraft | PIREP relay to NWS/ATC within 15 min of crew report for 90% of severe turbulence encounters | N | Y |
| 5.3 | Assess need for divert, reroute or amended release | Senior Dispatcher / Duty Manager | NAVBLUE N-Flight Planning | Updated weather picture from 5.1 and 5.2; remaining fuel on board (ACARS fuel telemetry); nearest alternate airports | Amended dispatch release with revised routing or divert authorisation; ACARS uplink to crew | Amended release issued within 10 min of divert-trigger threshold being met; zero diversions without prior dispatcher-crew coordination | Y | Y |
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