FAA vs ICAO
Another typical example of why it was (still is imo) wrong to have 2 sets of rules when flying into the US .
ICAO main goal when created was to allow cross border seamless air traffic , with sets of rules valid for every country that signed up to its convention.
So, according ICAO if you file an IFR flight plan you expect an instrument arrival . ATC can propose but not force you to do a visual approach if you are on an IFR flight plan . . But it can delay / put you in the hold for separation / sequencing, but mot refusing you which is basically what happened here .
LH is right to demand an instrument APP , and ATC should have accommodated it. Now that said US controllers are trained according FAA rules which differ from ICAO . It not only visual approaches, also at night ,it is also LAHSO procedures for instance . All are typical US procedures and can be ( and are sometimes ) refused by non US airlines .
This know issue is not new and should definitively not be resolved on the frequencies.
What we see now in 2023 is pushing for more and more traffic into saturated airports suffering ATC staff shortages and bending the rules ro make it work .
This is going to end up badly .
Last edited by ATC Watcher; 12th Nov 2023 at 08:53.