Narrative:

I received a satcom call from flight informing me that zbaa was closed due to tsra indefinitely. This was news to me so asked for the crew to hold a min to confirm that with the station and get a WX brief from ensco. Mr X at zbaa operations confirmed that ATC was not accepting any arrival or departures. Would have been nice to get a call from them informing me of this. Ensco WX who does not have any better WX resources than I do for that part of the world said they thought that the upper level flow would cause brief and recurring tsra there for a while. This took a few mins and when I ended the calls to get back to the crew they had already hung up. Therefore; I sent them an ACARS message relaying that information. The ensco satellite imagery is usually 2-3 hours old so I did not use it. A more reliable and timely resource flight winds; with the composite kavouras sat displayed clouds still 50-60 NM north of zbaa. Meanwhile the southerly movement from the tsra soon affected their alternate zbtj -- which the crew sent another message saying their alternate; zbtj; was closed too. I gave them the burn to sjw which was approximately 12.0. I called mr X back and he said the airport was accepting traffic again which I quickly relayed to the crew. Shortly after that; the crew landed at zbaa. With no radar; old satellite imagery and the lack of more authority/authorized alternates we run the risk of this happening again; especially during the summer when tsra is in the taf daily.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER FOR AN INTL ACR IS CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF TIMELY WX INFO FOR THE EAST OPS; PARTICULARLY CHINA.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A SATCOM CALL FROM FLT INFORMING ME THAT ZBAA WAS CLOSED DUE TO TSRA INDEFINITELY. THIS WAS NEWS TO ME SO ASKED FOR THE CREW TO HOLD A MIN TO CONFIRM THAT WITH THE STATION AND GET A WX BRIEF FROM ENSCO. MR X AT ZBAA OPS CONFIRMED THAT ATC WAS NOT ACCEPTING ANY ARR OR DEPS. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO GET A CALL FROM THEM INFORMING ME OF THIS. ENSCO WX WHO DOES NOT HAVE ANY BETTER WX RESOURCES THAN I DO FOR THAT PART OF THE WORLD SAID THEY THOUGHT THAT THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW WOULD CAUSE BRIEF AND RECURRING TSRA THERE FOR A WHILE. THIS TOOK A FEW MINS AND WHEN I ENDED THE CALLS TO GET BACK TO THE CREW THEY HAD ALREADY HUNG UP. THEREFORE; I SENT THEM AN ACARS MESSAGE RELAYING THAT INFO. THE ENSCO SATELLITE IMAGERY IS USUALLY 2-3 HRS OLD SO I DID NOT USE IT. A MORE RELIABLE AND TIMELY RESOURCE FLT WINDS; WITH THE COMPOSITE KAVOURAS SAT DISPLAYED CLOUDS STILL 50-60 NM N OF ZBAA. MEANWHILE THE SOUTHERLY MOVEMENT FROM THE TSRA SOON AFFECTED THEIR ALTERNATE ZBTJ -- WHICH THE CREW SENT ANOTHER MESSAGE SAYING THEIR ALTERNATE; ZBTJ; WAS CLOSED TOO. I GAVE THEM THE BURN TO SJW WHICH WAS APPROX 12.0. I CALLED MR X BACK AND HE SAID THE ARPT WAS ACCEPTING TFC AGAIN WHICH I QUICKLY RELAYED TO THE CREW. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; THE CREW LANDED AT ZBAA. WITH NO RADAR; OLD SATELLITE IMAGERY AND THE LACK OF MORE AUTH ALTERNATES WE RUN THE RISK OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN; ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER WHEN TSRA IS IN THE TAF DAILY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.