Airline Dispatchers Federation

10/12/2026

Senior Leadership Panel at the 2026 ADF Summit

The ADF Summit brought together senior aviation leaders for an engaging panel discussion on the challenges facing airline operations, the evolution of technology, and the importance of the aircraft dispatcher's role in shaping the future of our industry.

We were honored to welcome:
• Joe Miller, Senior Vice President of Operations & Customer Center, Delta Air Lines
• Gary Zeman, Managing Director of Dispatch, United Airlines
• Jessica Tyler, Vice President of the Integrated Operations Center, American Airlines

The discussion was moderated by Taylor Cornwall, Partner at McKinsey & Company.

Throughout the panel, our speakers emphasized the importance of ensuring passengers reach their final destinations safely, recognizing that every journey carries a personal significance beyond the flight itself. The panel also discussed the immense impact of irregular operations on major airlines, their employees, and the customers who depend on them. Looking toward the future, panelists expressed cautious optimism about the modernization of air traffic control through initiatives such as SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories), while acknowledging the challenges of implementing new technologies and the importance of incorporating operational expertise into their development.

A central theme of the discussion was the importance of preserving the aircraft dispatcher's voice as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies reshape airline operations. Panelists emphasized that while technology can enhance situational awareness and support decision-making, it cannot replace the human judgment, expertise, and responsibility required to exercise operational control. Dispatchers must remain actively involved in shaping operational decisions and the technologies that influence them.

The conversation repeatedly reinforced one clear takeaway: As aviation continues to evolve, the role of the aircraft dispatcher remains as essential as ever.

10/08/2026

A special thank you to our 2026 ADF Summit sponsors and partners!

This year’s ADF Summit was an absolute success, which would not have been possible without our incredible sponsors and partners! We would like to take the time to recognize and thank our sponsors and partners for their contributions to the Summit and their continued support of ADF.

💎 Sapphire Sponsor
• American Airlines
Thank you to our Sapphire Sponsor for sponsoring the Summit lunch break!

⭐️ Gold Sponsors
• SITA
• FlightKeys
Thank you to our Gold Sponsors for sponsoring our networking breaks!

🩶 Silver Sponsors
• Aerodata (Garmin Aviation)
• Flight Science
• Jeppesen ForeFlight
• Tait Communications
• Technical Aviation Services, Inc
• SkyWise
• SlickOR
• IFOD - Aircraft Dispatch School
• JPL Telecom Limited

🤝 Partner Organization
• Professional Asian Pilots Association

Want to sponsor the 2027 ADF Summit in DFW? Send us an email at [email protected].

Thank you to all of our sponsors and partners for your generosity, collaboration, and commitment to making the 2026 ADF Summit a success!

10/07/2026

🎓 Thank You to Our ADF Scholarship Partner Schools!

Behind each of this year’s full-tuition Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate scholarships is a school that generously donated an opportunity for someone to begin their journey into the aircraft dispatch profession. Together, our partner schools made it possible for ADF to offer seven full-tuition scholarships, the most in our organization’s history.

A special thank you to:

• Pilot Institute Airplanes
• Global Aviation Training Academy
• IFOD - Aircraft Dispatch School
• North American Flight Control
• US Aviation Academy
• Technical Aviation Services, Inc

Each school donated a full-tuition scholarship, and TAS went even further by generously providing two, helping ADF offer a record seven scholarships this year.

For every aircraft dispatcher, the journey into this profession begins with education and training. These schools provide the knowledge, skills, and foundation that prepare future dispatchers to earn their certificate and enter the profession. By covering the full cost of tuition, these schools are giving recipients an opportunity that can launch an entire career while investing directly in the future of aircraft dispatch.

ADF is incredibly grateful to these schools for their investment in our scholarship recipients, our profession, and its future.

Thank you for helping the next generation of aircraft dispatchers get their start!

10/06/2026

A Seat at the Table: Representing the Dispatch Profession

At the 2026 ADF Summit, Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Dispatch Standards Stephen Weikum highlighted how ADF works to ensure the aircraft dispatcher profession has a voice where aviation policy, technology, training, and standards are being shaped.

Last year, ADF addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in aviation, establishing principles centered on preserving human judgment, accountability, proficiency, transparency, and joint operational control. More recently, ADF responded to the issue of remote dispatching, emphasizing the safety value of the dispatch center and the shared situational awareness, communication, and coordination it provides.

That advocacy has continued with FAA SMART, an AI-supported traffic-flow planning tool. After publishing a position emphasizing dispatcher participation and preserved operational control, members of ADF’s Executive Board were invited by the FAA to attend a demonstration of SMART alongside the system’s developers, giving ADF direct access to the program as it continues to evolve.

Most recently, ADF filed a formal comment advocating for Henderson Field at Midway Atoll (PMDY) to remain available as a trans-Pacific ETOPS alternate. The filing brought a dispatcher’s operational perspective directly into the public-policy process, highlighting the importance of PMDY to the resilience of the diversion-airport network across the Pacific.

ADF also participates in the FAA’s Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ACT-ARC), including its Steering Committee and various working groups, bringing the working-dispatcher perspective into the development of air-carrier training recommendations.

Within RTCA, ADF currently participates in three Special Committees addressing aeronautical and meteorological data link services, navigation performance, and takeoff performance monitoring. As RTCA prepares to establish a new Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning committee, ADF will have a seat at the table from day one, carrying the principles we established on AI into the development of future aviation standards.

These efforts represent an important part of the value ADF provides its members. Whether addressing emerging issues, engaging directly with the FAA, submitting formal comments, or participating while standards are still being developed, ADF works to make sure the dispatcher perspective is part of the conversation.

Where aviation decisions are being shaped, the Airline Dispatchers Federation works to ensure the dispatcher perspective is part of the conversation.

10/04/2026

The future of Midway Atoll’s Henderson Field (PMDY) continues to gain attention across the aviation community.

ADF is proud to see this important issue receiving broader recognition, along with acknowledgment of our advocacy for the operational needs of aircraft dispatchers and the airlines we serve.

Thank you to One Mile at a Time for highlighting the issue and recognizing ADF’s efforts.

Read more below:

Midway Atoll Airport faces closure without $100 million in repairs, threatening ETOPS diversion routes and Qantas's Project Sunrise flights across the Pacific.

10/03/2026

🎉 Celebrating the 2026 ADF Scholarship Recipients!

This year, ADF awarded seven full-tuition Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate scholarships — the most tuition scholarships offered in ADF history!

Congratulations to our 2026 recipients:
🎓 Melissa Hansen — Pilot Institute Airplanes
🎓 Diana Alberto Franco — Global Aviation Training Academy
🎓 Tyrik Fenner — Technical Aviation Services, Inc
🎓 Yi Ta Hsieh — IFOD - Aircraft Dispatch School
🎓 Eric Strauss — North American Flight Control
🎓 Daniel Young — US Aviation Academy
🎓 April Morrow — Technical Aviation Services, Inc

We also congratulate Morriah M. Gordon, recipient of the Jared Micou Memorial First-Time Attendee Scholarship! Named in honor of former ADF President Jared Micou and his lasting contributions to the aircraft dispatcher profession, this scholarship carries forward his legacy by giving a first-time attendee the opportunity to experience the ADF Summit and become more connected with our community.

None of these opportunities would be possible without the generosity and commitment of our partner schools. Thank you to Pilot Institute, Global Aviation Training Academy, IFOD, TAS, North American Flight Control, and US Aviation Academy for generously donating these tuition scholarships and investing in the next generation of aircraft dispatchers.

Congratulations to all eight of our 2026 scholarship recipients! We are excited to see where your journeys in aviation take you.

10/02/2026

The Flight Dispatch Network is offering their 2027 Morris Family FAA Dispatch Scholarship, which offers a full tuition coverage for their FDN FAA Dispatch Certification Course. If interested, find out more information through the link below.

For more than seven decades, the Morris family has been synonymous with excellence in the FAA Dispatch profession. Through their leadership of the Sheffield School of Aeronautics (est. 1948), they educated and inspired generations of Flight Dispatchers, helping shape one of the most respected profes...

10/02/2026

JetBlue is currently hiring Dispatchers at their SOC in Long Island City, NY. If interested in this opportunity, apply on the official JetBlue career page below!

Dispatcher

10/01/2026

The 2026 ADF Summit in Indianapolis officially wrapped up yesterday!

What an exciting three days in Indianapolis bringing together flight dispatchers, industry leaders, aviation professionals, and partners from across the industry.

We kicked things off Monday with ADF’s final Quarterly Business Meeting of 2026, followed by our Welcome Reception and an opportunity for attendees to reconnect and meet new faces.

Tuesday brought a full day of programming, beginning with an opening keynote from Jessica Tyler, Vice President of the Integrated Operations Center at American Airlines. Throughout the day, attendees heard discussions on training in the age of AI, senior leadership perspectives, human factors in aviation, jumpseat developments, weather and traffic management, and collaboration between dispatchers, pilots, and air traffic control.

On Wednesday, we turned our attention to the work ahead with updates from ADF and IFALDA, discussions surrounding advanced air mobility, AI, and government affairs, a conversation comparing regional, mainline, and cargo dispatch operations, and a hiring panel focused on helping the next generation of flight dispatchers enter the profession.

None of this would have been possible without the people and organizations who made the Summit happen. Thank you to every attendee who joined us, our sponsors for their continued support, and the volunteers who dedicated their time to making the event a success. A special thank you to American Airlines, Republic Airways, and the Indianapolis ARTCC (ZID) for their support and hospitality throughout the Summit.

📸 Have photos from the Summit? We would love to see them! Send your favorite moments to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in the ADF Summit photo gallery.

And we’re not finished just yet! Stay tuned to ADF’s social media channels as we continue sharing photos, recaps, and highlights from the 2026 ADF Summit in the days ahead.

Thank you for making this year’s Summit one to remember. We hope to see you again next year!

10/01/2026

Prophatcat Thank you so much for speaking at our Summit in Indianapolis! It was an absolute joy to have you demystify ATC in person alongside a Dispatcher and Captain. We hope to see you again next year!