When your plane brakes on arrival and you have disembarked, the cycle starts all over again. A ground handling crew is already at the bay getting the same aircraft ready for its next journey. This cycle is crucial for airlines to maintain their on-time performance (OTP), a statistic that affects their reputation.
Ground teams spring into action to prepare the aircraft for its next flight
As passengers wait to board, the bay bustles with activity happening all at once – bags and cargo being loaded, meals being refreshed, cabin being cleaned, and the plane being refuelled.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, handles many of these services, sometimes alongside other ground handlers. And someone has to make sure it all syncs up.
At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), one of the busiest hubs in the United States, serving over 33 million passengers a year, that responsibility falls to Turnaround Coordinators like Sheila and Shad.
Their role is better explained in three Cs: coordinate, calculate, and communicate. It’s a role largely unknown to passengers, but it’s critical in making sure they get to where they need to go by the expected time.
Sheila Colón Morales, Turnaround Coordinator, QR Passenger Services, Dallas Fort Worth Airport (WFS Americas)
Sheila is in charge of two international flights to West Asia. The moment the aircraft parks at its assigned bay at DFW, Sheila will be in constant communication with the ground teams, coordinating with ramp agents unloading and loading baggage and cargo, catering teams refreshing meal trolleys, fuelling crews topping up tanks, and cleaners resetting the cabin.
She provides the Centralised Load Controller with data needed to generate the Load Information Report, verifies all paperwork, making sure all documentation is complete and compliant with airline and regulatory standards, and hands the pilots their Operational Flight Plan and Notice to Captain before departure.
It may sound like a logistics job, but it’s actually much more. It requires thinking about the safety of both personnel and passengers, while also keeping everything on schedule. Unpredictability is part of the job. When there’s a late passenger, cargo to be offloaded, or a delay in catering, Sheila’s responsible for finding a solution to keep the flight on time.
Yet, Sheila likes the challenge. She has worked in aviation for eight years, starting at another airport before moving to DFW as a Customer Services Agent. Having been in ground operations before, she asked for a transfer to become a Turnaround Coordinator instead. "I’ve always preferred a role where I can problem-solve and coordinate,” she explains.
Months into the role, Sheila is enjoying it more and more. “This role has a direct and significant impact on the efficiency and safety of flight operations,” she says. “Each day as a Turnaround Coordinator brings me new learning opportunities.”
Shad Dilshad, Turnaround Coordinator & Weight and Balance Agent, Dallas Fort Worth Airport (WFS Americas)
Shad wears two hats at DFW. As a Turnaround Coordinator, Shad’s role is the same as Sheila’s – coordinating with various teams to help airlines attain OTP. Simultaneously, he serves as a Weight & Balance Agent (known as “Load Controller” in other airports), handling the numbers, preparing the aircraft’s load sheet, and making sure the weight distribution across the plane is balanced.
It’s technical work with zero margin for error. A miscalculation in load distribution can directly affect the aircraft’s performance during takeoff and landing.
To get the most precise numbers and monitoring, Shad uses a baggage reconciliation system to check real-time baggage loading, and a load control system that aids in producing load sheets, determining weight and balance, and validating correct loading processes. But ultimately, the responsibility to confirm and sign off on the numbers rests on him.
“The responsibility that comes with making sure flights take off safely and punctually excites and scares me at the same time,” he admits.
Like Sheila, Shad also started as a Customer Services Agent before moving to ground operations. He likes the fast pace and the problem-solving that come with being a Turnaround Coordinator/Weight & Balance Agent. “What I enjoy the most is how our teams work together, especially when there are weather setbacks or unexpected cargo changes, so we can still send flights on time,” he says.
For airlines, every minute counts. A delayed departure results in missed passenger connections, disrupted flight schedules, and extra expenses. Equally important is safety in sending the plane off on time. Every single detail of the turnaround has to meet international standards before a plane can leave the gate.
That’s where our turnaround coordinators like Sheila and Shad help in achieving OTP for our airline clients. They catch small issues before they turn into bigger issues, keep communication flowing between teams, and hold everyone accountable to the turnaround plan.
In practice, it means:
Performing safety checks without shortcuts
Loading and reconciling baggage and cargo correctly
Keeping catering, fuelling, and cabin cleaning on schedule
Ensuring the captain has all the paperwork and updates needed to make the go/no-go decision
And they all of this in under 90 minutes, often for widebody aircraft carrying hundreds of passengers and tonnes of cargo.
This level of coordination is not unique to DFW. Across the SATS Group network, you’ll find similar roles under different titles (Flight Controllers, Load Controllers, and Dispatch Agents). But the principle remains: safe, efficient, and reliable flight turnarounds.
