QF A380 rejected take off YMML

[DutchRoll]

I think a few prescriptions for valium might not go astray on this thread.

So, point 1: I find conspiracy theories entertaining too, but when all is said and done, they virtually never withstand any serious scrutiny. If the company said the pax couldn't disembark due to security issues, then it is likely that was the case in some way, shape or form, at least for part of the delay.

point 2: the yanks, love 'em or hate 'em, have always been pretty over the top in getting their own way. They have such massive and overwhelming economic power that they are well known for saying "you do it our way or we'll refuse to let you land here". They know everyone will meekly comply. And that's if you're an ally. If they consider you an enemy, it's simply: "we have 15 stealth bombers on standby with your coordinates loaded into their cruise missile IRSs, so we suggest doing what we say".

So could they dictate security terms in this way? Quite possibly. Notwithstanding that, it could also have been a complete screwup from our end too. Or a combination of both.

I am in the USA on holiday at the moment, and you really need to see what's going on here regarding the TSA and security to believe it. You want to allow a good 2 hours to get through domestic screening in the major airports right now, plus time to get to the gate, or you risk missing your flight. International is probably worse. Getting into, out of, and around inside the USA by air at the moment is a total pain in the @rse. Honestly.

EDIT: please note this is not intended as a slag off at the US. It's just a fact that if the US dictates that USA-bound flights have to comply with their security requirements, then that's what happens. Simple. Or you don't fly there.

point 3: planes break. Old planes break repeatedly in much the same old manner as the engineers are used to. New planes break in new and interesting ways which people often haven't dealt with before. Qantas. Lufthansa. SQ. United. 777, 747, 767, A330, A380, whatever. They still break, sometimes even after you think you've fixed them.