When should a dispatcher refresh the weather information for an inbound flight?

Refreshing the weather information for an inbound flight is crucial for ensuring that the safety and operational efficiency of the flight are maintained. The correct practice is to obtain updated weather information when significant weather changes occur or just before the aircraft's arrival at its destination. This is important because weather conditions can change rapidly, impacting everything from approach procedures to runway conditions and potential diversions.

By obtaining the latest weather data before the aircraft lands, the dispatcher can provide critical information to the pilots regarding weather conditions such as turbulence, wind shear, thunderstorms, or low visibility. This allows the flight crew to have the most current information needed to make informed decisions, such as whether to adjust their approach or prepare for landing on a different runway if adverse conditions are present.

Relying on outdated weather information, only checking at scheduled intervals, or waiting until the flight has landed does not account for the dynamic nature of weather and could potentially lead to unsafe situations. Therefore, refreshing weather information based on significant changes or just prior to arrival is a vital responsibility for dispatchers to ensure safe flight operations.