Education · 1 of 5
The path
One federal certificate, one course, then working your way up from smaller airlines.
- 1
High school diploma
Grade 12
No degree is required. What you need is to read, speak, write and understand English, which the regulation states outright.
- 2
Take an approved dispatcher course
2 to 6 weeks
An approved aircraft dispatcher certification course covering weather, navigation, aircraft performance, regulations and flight planning. It runs around 200 hours, often packed into five or six intense weeks.
- 3
Pass the knowledge test
1 day
A federal multiple choice exam. You can sit it from age 21, two years before you are allowed to hold the certificate itself.
- 4
Pass the practical test
1 day
An oral and practical exam with an examiner where you plan real flights and defend your decisions.
- 5
Get hired and get seniority
2 to 5 years
Start at a regional, cargo or charter operator, often on an assistant desk or as an operations agent first, then move up and across to a larger airline.