ACR MLG ACFT RE-RTED BY ATC CAUSES FLC AND DISPATCHER CONCERN OF SUFFICIENT FUEL TO REACH DEST.

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LINE OF SEVERE TSTMS DEVELOPED ALONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM PKB; WV; TO CBE; MD; TO JUST S OF MDT; PA. ACFT OPERATING MDT TO PIT WAS RELEASED AND FILED ON THE FOLLOWING RTE: MDT-HAR-V469-J80-IHD 315-NESTO-PIT. FLT CALLED UP ON COMPANY RADIO RPTING HE WAS 105 MI W OF JPU; WV; AND CONCERNED WITH HIS FUEL SITUATION. HE ADVISED THAT CTR HAD RE-RTED HIM S OVER EKN; WV; TO JPU TO CTW; OH; TO PIT. THE RTE TOOK THE FLT ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TSTM LINE WHICH WAS MOVING ESE. THE DISPATCHER FILED ROUTINGS WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACFT BEHIND THE LINE OF WX; INTO SMOOTHER AIR AND A MUCH LESS FLYING TIME. NORMAL FLYING TIME VIA THE FILED FLT PLAN WAS 32 MINS WITH A FUEL BURN OF 4500 POUNDS. THE ATC INDUCED RE-RTE ADDED 105 ADDITIONAL MI; BURNED 220 POUNDS MORE IN FUEL AND TOOK 25 MINS LONGER TO FLY. THE DISPATCHER HAD TO DELETE THE ALTERNATE SINCE PIT WX DID NOT REQUIRE ONE; SO THE FLT COULD LEGALLY PROCEED UNDER THE FUEL THAT WAS REMAINING. ONCE AGAIN; THE DISPATCHER/CAPT JOINT RESPONSIBILITY IS SHIRKED AGAIN IN FAVOR OF ATC GENERATED/DESIRED ROUTINGS WHICH MAY HELP CTLRS WITH SECTOR WORKLOAD; BUT PLACES SAFETY IN SERIOUS PERIL. THE CAPT MUST CALL THE DISPATCHER IF RE-ROUTING WAS DONE BY ATC TO SEE IF THEY HAVE SUITABLE QUANTITY OF FUEL TO DO THE RE-RTE AND IF NEW RTE IS FREE OF WX.