News reports say that the aircraft was 90 minutes out of YSSY, and there doesn't appear to be any disagreement on this. The captain and his company decided that the flight should be terminated and return to YSSY. If he was 90 mins out of YSSY, surely he would have been closer to YBBN than YSSY? If a 'return' was warranted, then surely he should have diverted the nearest suitable airport. Would that have been YBBN? If so, why was YSSY chosen? Diversion to the nearest available airport would surely have been in the best interests of the passengers and crew but perhaps not to the operator? It would also have caused less havoc on the eastern seaboard.
Have we again seen commercial interests put ahead of safety and security?
