Squawk-7600
Having re-read the thread to try to follow your reasoning, I still find myself unable to agree with you.
It has been obvious right from the initial report by Simon that the root cause of this situation was the decision by the operating Captains of the 3 flights in this discussion to continue to hold, by their own volition, until they reached just greater than their minimum LEGAL diversion fuel, and then they requested a diversion, during which they discovered (somewhat unremarkably) that the legally required fuel was not enough for the prevailing conditions
I'm confused. I have read the IAA report and I also recall post 225 and the surrounding discussion which proved that the Ryanair aircraft
did not hold at MAD. I know the initial Ryanair statement was misleading because it spoke of holding but that was also explained (discredited) in this thread.
It has also been said on this thread that carrying 10,000 kgs of extra fuel is no better than carrying 500 kgs if you burn that fuel holding before requesting a diversion. But that is not what happened here. In this case, the aircraft diverted nigh on immediately. As I said before, simple arithmetic based on the departure fuel, the fuel onboard at the point of diversion and arrival fuel on each aircraft does not support the proposition that anyone wasted time. The MAYDAYs were made in accordance with international procedure once at the diversion field when the aircraft could not wait any longer.
I don't wish to 'play the man' and with due deference to your 17,000 hrs in the cockpit, I respectfully query whether you have flown much in Spanish airspace in the last few years? It was stated earlier that AESA proudly stated that aircraft belonging to 8 Spanish operators didn't divert and landed on 18R while the Ryanair aircraft were heading off to VLC. Having operated from MAD and flown into most Spanish airports numerous times, the allegations of which you complain certainly resonate with me, if not you. In fact, I would have thought the fact that solely Spanish carriers landed at that time backs up the allegations to an uncomfortable degree.
Regards.