A DISPATCHER FOR AN MD-80 CARRIER QUESTIONS HOW IS HE TO KNOW IF A TERMINAL RNAV PROCEDURE HAS BEEN VERIFIED IN ORDER TO SATISFY MEL RELIEF.

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MEL READS; 'TERMINAL RNAV PROCS MAY BE CONDUCTED PROVIDED THE DATABASE HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY FLT OPS.' HOW DOES A DISPATCHER KNOW IF THE TERMINAL RNAV PROC HAS BEEN VERIFIED? WHO IS FLT OPS? THERE IS NO EXPLANATION WHO THEY ARE IN THE GENERAL SECTION. IS IT THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY? FLT OPS PLT LOCATED IN DISPATCH? HOW DO I CONTACT THEM? WHAT IS THEIR PROC TO VERIFY? TO MEET THE LETTER OF THE MEL? MAINT HAS A PROCS MANUAL; WHAT DOES FLT OPS USE? I CALLED MAINT CTL FOR AN EXPLANATION BECAUSE THAT'S WHO DISPATCH ARE TO CONTACT FOR MEL CLARIFICATION. MAINT CTL SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW. ALSO THE MEL SAYS; 'GLOBAL NAV SYS' RNP APCH PROCS ARE NOT REQUIRED. ARE MD80 ACFT RNP CERTIFIED? I DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE BUT THE MEL LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THEY ARE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT SINCE HE SENT HIS REPORT; HE WAS INFORMED BY HIS COMPANY THAT FLIGHT OPS IS ORGANIZATIONALLY TASKED WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO VERIFY RNAV PROCEDURES. BUT; IN REALITY THAT IS NOT HAPPENING. SO THE END RESULT IS THE MEL PROCEDURE THAT ALLOWS FOR RNAV RELIEF CANNOT BE APPROVED BECAUSE THE PROVISO TO VERIFY THE RNAV DATABASE ISN'T BEING SATISFIED BY FLIGHT OPS. THEREFORE; EVEN THOUGH LANGUAGE CONTINUES TO EXIST IN THEIR MEL PROCEDURES; THIS RELIEF WON'T BE ALLOWED.