Narrative:

The callsign conflict was missed -- in my opinion -- as the result of two circumstances. First; I am still working on developing a workflow. Although I do have significant dispatch experience; my coming up to speed in systems familiarization still has me with a handicap in reviewing potential conflict. Second; the workload for company employees as the result of significant cancellations; schedule adjustments; and non-scheduled flying as the direct result of the covid-19 circumstances is requiring increased schedule activity. The resulting delays; reposition flights; extreme biohazard precautions within the offices and other company property...are all responsible for degrading the inherent stability otherwise found in well-established systems and in the best practice of dispatching. Communication -- while still required -- must be remote and minimized.corrective action: it is my opinion the only course of action which would have prevented this occurrence is tighter communication. I do believe that if the ATC coordinators; dispatch coordinators; and dispatchers were free to openly and routinely communicate as enjoyed in the past (absent covid-19); and the situation were moot; we likely would not have had a callsign conflict. When balanced against the risk of closer socialization and systems still in place with ATC as risk mitigation; I do not believe that corrective action is warranted at this time and the systems in place today consistent with best practices and in the good interest of public health; worked as best as they could have.we were dispatching flight abc and received an ACARS from that aircraft notifying us that ATC had given them a new callsign -- aircraft X 'abce' -- as the result of a callsign conflict. An identically numbered flight; abc; no additional east; which was being operated by different dispatcher was late inbound due to equipment delays. The callsign conflict was not apparent to us -- the dispatchers for this flight; nor was it recognized by the second flight's dispatcher; ATC coordinators; or dispatch coordinators. We acknowledged the new callsign; continued the flight as planned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Dispatcher reported a similar callsign issue and cancellations attributed in part to COVID-19 pandemic related work environment.

Narrative: The callsign conflict was missed -- in my opinion -- as the result of two circumstances. First; I am still working on developing a workflow. Although I do have significant Dispatch experience; my coming up to speed in systems familiarization still has me with a handicap in reviewing potential conflict. Second; the workload for company employees as the result of significant cancellations; schedule adjustments; and non-scheduled flying as the direct result of the COVID-19 circumstances is requiring increased schedule activity. The resulting delays; reposition flights; extreme biohazard precautions within the offices and other company property...are all responsible for degrading the inherent stability otherwise found in well-established systems and in the best practice of dispatching. Communication -- while still required -- must be remote and minimized.Corrective action: It is my opinion the only course of action which would have prevented this occurrence is tighter communication. I do believe that if the ATC coordinators; Dispatch coordinators; and dispatchers were free to openly and routinely communicate as enjoyed in the past (absent COVID-19); and the situation were moot; we likely would not have had a callsign conflict. When balanced against the risk of closer socialization and systems still in place with ATC as risk mitigation; I do not believe that corrective action is warranted at this time and the systems in place today consistent with best practices and in the good interest of public health; worked as best as they could have.We were dispatching Flight ABC and received an ACARS from that aircraft notifying us that ATC had given them a new callsign -- Aircraft X 'ABCE' -- as the result of a callsign conflict. An identically numbered flight; ABC; no additional E; which was being operated by different Dispatcher was late inbound due to equipment delays. The callsign conflict was not apparent to us -- the dispatchers for this flight; nor was it recognized by the second flight's Dispatcher; ATC coordinators; or Dispatch coordinators. We acknowledged the new callsign; continued the flight as planned.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.