Rules where broken, it doesn't matter who was onboard the CEO, PM whoever.
Oh, these threads always remind me of why it's so good to NOT work for a UK airline anymore.
The Brits continue to set new standards in the "Befehl ist Befehl" mentality! Even the Germans in my experience are 10 times more flexible and realistic.
Disengage the brain, blindly follow orders and spend your entire paycheck on overpriced real estate and groceries: the perfect recipe for the UK totalitarian consumer society!
Kudos to the VAA captain who still has his common sense, and I sincerely hope he will not be punished because of the backstabbing atmosphere created by some 'holier than thou' brainless button pushers here in this thread and in the main stream (talking about brainless...!) media!