The Secretary of Flight Dispatchers Association of Nigeria (FLIDAN), Mr. David Olatunji has called for the full adoption of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Manual on flight operations and operational control, ICAO Doc 10106.
Speaking at the 2026 Flight Dispatchers Association of Nigeria, FLIDAN, 2026 Annual Conference at the Nigerian Civil Aviation, NCAA Annex in Lagos with the theme: Safety and Efficiency : The flight dispatchers role, Olatunji stated that the the full adoption includes restructuring OCCs, updating manuals, and implementing shared decision-making frameworks and strengthening of training and competency standards
Commenting on the imperative of complying with ICAO Document 10106, Olatunji noted that dispatchers must be trained according to ICAO’s competency-based model by
Integrating dispatch functions into the airline’s SMS
He said flight dispatchers must be active participants in hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety reporting.
Commenting on the need to embrace technology and data analytics, Olatunji added that modern OCCs rely on real-time data, automation, and predictive tools.
He emphasised that dispatchers must be recognized as safety-critical professionals with shared authority including the
strengthening of competency and ultimately, safe, through Aircraft type rating for flight dispatchers
He called for the use of the conference as relevant platform to push for action.
He explained that ICAO Doc 10106 establishes a modern competency-based framework for Flight Operations Officers/Flight Dispatchers (FOO/FD), stressing that within Chapter 2.3.1, ICAO defines role types and competency units that are directly tied to aircraft performance, systems behavior, MEL/CDL interpretation, and operational decision-making.
These competencies are inherently aircraft-specific, not generic, he said.
According to him, this structure mirrors the philosophy of Doc 9868 (PANS-TRG)-the foundational document from which Doc 10106 was developed-where pilots are required to obtain aircraft-type ratings to ensure safe and efficient operation, adding that the logic is identical:
He explained further that when operational decisions depend on aircraft-specific data, competency must be validated on that aircraft-type, to prevent data misinterpretation, performance miscalculations, and operational errors.
“I had the experience of using B727 data for B737 because I worked on the two airplanes within a spate of 20 minutes. I just discovered that the figures were not adding up as expected. My self-made safeguard for error detection- a checklist- helped me out that day. I am sure you all must have had similar experiences in various ways and magnitude” Olatunji noted.
He pointed out Why Aircraft type rating for dispatchers enhances dafety and efficiency .
