What does an airline dispatcher do?

Question

What does an airline dispatcher do?

Answer 1

Duane L's answer is really good, except for one thing.  The dispatch office basically runs the airline.  They take care of irregular ops like snow and thunderstorms, and decide where aircraft divert to when they cannot land at the normal destination.  Of course, this has to be agreed upon by the captain, and in an emergency, the captain can do whatever he or she needs to.  If you are a private pilot, a dispatcher does what pilots usually do to prepare for a flight.  That leaves the captain to be able to get ready for the next flight without doing all the planning and weather checking.  Dispatchers also track the flights and must be able to get in touch with them at any time.  They are required for part 121 airlines, but many other operations use certificated dispatchers for flight following, which is basically the same job.

Answer 2

it tells what planes are going were and when

Answer 3

The dispatcher and the Captain have a joint responsibility to send an airliner on it's way.  He provides current and forecast weather, suggest route, suggests fuel load and most of the same thing that the Captain must consider.  He is required by the FAA.  The written exam to be a Dispatcher is must about the same as the Captain must take for his Airline Pilot Rating.