Flight delay reason
Over the last months, whenever a flight is delayed the reason given by flight deck crew is 'due to an earlier air traffic control restriction...'
As a passenger I have little or no ability to counter this line. Furthermore I am aware ATC can't defend themselves to a flight deck PA announcement in an aircraft.
I am aware the much loved 'due to operational reasons' is often code for either 'we messed up but don't want to admit it' or 'you are not sufficiently profitable as passengers so we have decided to make you more profitable by some other means'.
Is blaming ATC restrictions the new version of operational reasons (with an EU261 compensation-immune escape route), or is there usually something credible behind it which genuinely wasn't an airline's fault ?