Departure Controller

**Job Purpose**:
The Departure Control role is responsible for analysing, evaluating and conducting the weight and balance of aircraft so that the safety of the aircraft, crew, passengers and environment is achieved.

Lastly, as part of the Operations team, the role will be required to support the optimization of the Airline On-time Performance.

**Principal Accountabilities**:

- Demonstrates an understanding of the Global Operations Control Centre strategy and plan relevant to own work outputs
- Implements department strategy within own area of responsibility
- Provides recommendations to support the implementation of the departmental strategy and plan
- Contributes to the budget management and containment of costs
- Applies cost saving initiatives continuously
- Provides recommendations on profitability
- Adheres to Governance and Risk Management policies, processes and systems
- Ensure that weight and balance conditions on the aircraft are correct and within the aircraft type limits
- Ensure that the aircraft is loaded in accordance with carrier regulations in general and the loading instruction for the flight in particular
- Prepare and Produce load plan, ensuring that the aircraft is loaded in accordance with the load plan
- Ensure that special loads are planned according to restrictions max quantities, separation and segregation requirements
- Ensure that hold maxima are not exceeded and balance conditions is within safety limits
- Ensure that balance calculations are performed correctly and that conditions of loaded aircraft are within prescribed limits
- Load aircraft to its maximum capacity and within the safe limits
- Calculate the number of baggage containers per class of travel on all wide bodied aircrafts
- Make provision for transfer baggage containers if applicable
- Create a sort container on specific aircraft and routes
- Restrict zero fuel weight on all direct flights as requested FDC and flight dispatch
- Ensure that the load plan instructions correspond with the load sheet; produce and certify load sheet
- Plan uplift/ discharge load for ready accessibility
- Ensure that flight files are completed according to daily roster
- Ensure that flight information is updated e.g. who the departure controller is dealing with, all contact numbers etc.
- Ensure that the configuration in departure control system correspond with the configuration in reservations and the weight and balance manual
- Check that the correct basic/ dry operating weight and index is used according to aircraft type, version, number of crew, travelling technician, aircraft spares and pantry codes, portable water
- Create service weight for aircraft spares if applicable
- Change cargo allotment to zero to supply cargo with maximum weight for cargo sales
- Generate final cargo offer to cargo section for cargo sales
- Advice baggage section on the number of container and types to be utilised on the flight
- Assist outstations with trouble shooting on load sheets
- Advice flight dispatch on estimate zero fuel weight
- Provide Captain with load sheet with the correct passenger information and take off data for a safe and on time take-off and landing
- Ensure communications with loading supervisor w.r.t loading of A/C as well with FDC w.r.t. any Weight and Balance matters
- Contract onto the Team Based Performance Scorecards and track progress against contracted objectives Airline (formulate reports)
- Ensure that the information on the load sheet corresponds with the actual load on the aircraft, passengers and fuel included
- Ensure information on the LIR and LS corresponds with the aircraft registration
- Ensure Centralised Load Control function is fulfilled accordingly
- Attend the agreed on training as per PDP
- Provide on-the-job training

**Qualifications & Experience**:

- Grade 12 or NQF Level 4 with a pass in Mathematics
- A 3-year Diploma is essential or a relevant qualification at NQF level 6 and / or 4 years in the Airline Operations environment
- Aircraft Weight and Balance, Current on Dangerous Goods Group C, AVOP, Radio Telephony, Amadeus (FM and CM)
- At least 1 - 2 years’ experience in Departure Control environment

**Knowledge and Skills**:

- Knowledge of Airport Operations
- Knowledge of the Customer Management Systems
- Dangerous Goods and Airside operations
- General knowledge of all airline practices and procedures
- Excellent knowledge of all aircraft types
- Knowledge of SAA/IATA delay code system
- Knowledge of IATA and ICAO codes
- Good Understanding of Precision Time Schedule
- Tarmac duties
- Boarding of passengers
- Check-in
- Lost property
- Flight closure
- Post departures as well as weight and balance of aircraft
- Loading of an aircraft and the different configurations of aircraft
- Vast knowledge of all airport operations
- Communication skills
- Telephone etiquette
- Interpersonal skills
- Decision making
- Problem solving
- Conflict resolution
- Customer care
- Time management
- Facilitation