Paid FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certification Training Program Begins at Republic Airways

Airline extends workforce development initiatives beyond flight to attract local talent for aircraft dispatcher position

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Republic Airways will soon add another ab initio training program to the company’s workforce development initiatives—aircraft dispatcher. Aircraft dispatchers work in the System Operations Control (SOC) center at the Company’s headquarters building, orchestrating the hundreds of daily flights across the US, Canada and Caribbean in communication with the pilots on board the aircraft.

The paid training program or apprenticeship will take six to eight weeks to complete, and the first apprenticeship class will begin mid-January 2022. Participants will earn a weekly stipend throughout the apprenticeship. Upon successful completion of the course and receiving their FAA aircraft dispatcher certification, apprentices will join Republic Airways as an aircraft dispatcher trainee in the airline’s Indianapolis System Operations Control center. They will then undergo new hire training for the aircraft dispatcher position at Republic. Aircraft dispatcher pay at Republic starts at $20 an hour, and the position offers opportunities for internal career growth.

“As the airline industry recovers from the pandemic, we are seeing rapid growth and opportunity for airline careers across the industry, including dispatching,” said Paul Kinstedt, Republic’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “This program will bring more skilled job opportunities to people in and around Indianapolis while also helping our airline retain talent by hiring more people locally and training them onsite.”

There is currently no other aircraft dispatch training program in the state of Indiana, and Republic plans to launch its program in January 2022 with quarterly classes of 12-20 students.

Aircraft dispatchers work in the SOC which is the heartbeat of any airline, planning routes of flight, filing flight plans with the FAA and communicating critical safety information to pilots during flight to help navigate weather or other operations challenges.

“A career as an aircraft dispatcher offers a lot of opportunity and a competitive salary. We love to see our dispatchers stay and grow within our company. Airlines across the world are hiring and will continue to do so,” Kinstedt said. “The skills you learn as a dispatcher are transferable to many areas of business, especially within the airline industry.”

Applicants for the aircraft dispatcher apprenticeship program and ultimately the aircraft dispatcher role with Republic must be high school graduates or have a GED, be able to work in a fast-paced environment, be able to multi-task and prioritize tasks, have strong mathematics skills, be problem solvers and are customer service oriented. The FAA requires dispatchers to be at least 23 years of age; the program will be open to those 21 and above for at least its first class.

All technical skills required in the role will be taught in the six- to eight-week course, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Upon successful completion of the course, the FAA aircraft dispatcher certification test and meeting Republic Airways hiring requirements, students will receive a job offer as a Republic aircraft dispatcher.

Additional information on the program along with the application can be found at www.rjet.com/careers/ under the Corporate Opportunities by searching “Dispatcher Apprentice” or directly at this link: https://rjet.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External_Career_Site/job/Indianapolis-IN/Aircraft-Dispatcher-Apprenticeship_JR-002787.

About Republic Airways Inc.

Founded in 1974, Republic Airways is one of the largest regional airlines in the U.S. Republic operates a fleet of more than 220 Embraer 170/175 aircraft and offers scheduled passenger service with daily flights to 100 cities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Central America. The airline provides fixed-fee flights operated under its codeshare partners’ brands: American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. The airline employs about 6,000 aviation professionals. Learn more at www.rjet.com.

In May 2018, Republic opened the Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, a commercial aviation pilot and maintenance technician training school in Indianapolis. LIFT uses state-of-the-art training technologies that combine flight, flight simulator, online and in-classroom training. Graduates have a defined pathway to a job as a pilot or aircraft technician at Republic. Learn more at www.flywithlift.com.