But as we all know, he might actually be on the frequency of another service just not on that of the airport in question.
I know the airlines like to think they have priority, but I have been kept orbiting in the hold for 45 minutes at a well-known regional airport with fuel getting lower and lower while charter and low-cost flights diverted from other airfields barge in. Each one added to the delay to my landing because of wake turbulence and led in the end to some declaring fuel emergencies and others going somewhere else
In my view the way that the low-cost airlines behave once they start accessing regional airfields is a scandal - they bring little investment into an area but need their every whim catered to.
Look what happened when Newquay tried to get a tiny bit more from Ryanair to help in funding the airport for when the military leave. Ryanair walked away as they felt a £5 levy would trash their profits