USA Landing Clearances
 

Something that has always intrigued me, is why in the USA, you are cleared to land, whilst the a/c you are following has not yet landed, yet alone, upon landing has yet to evacuate the active runway
The following is a prime example.

ATC Gives to Clearance to CAL012 to land. The Air France (PF) clearly asks if there is a speed restriction?

Panic in ATC.

My Query is based on

In non-pilot speak; to avoid having someone noodling along at 120kts on a 12 mile final at big and busy airports it is common to assign 180kts to a 5-6 mile final then slow down to final approach speed which for both these aircraft is probably in the 130-140 kts range.
Everything would have worked fine as landing clearances are based on the assumption that pilots do as expected which is vacate the runway with expedience.
For whichever reason the ‘Dynasty’ did not fully cross the demarcation line between runway and taxiway so “legally” runway was occupied.

FAA system is "cleared to land" on first contact with approach based on the expectation that when you arrive the runway will be clear. The Captain of the aircraft has the final responsibility of checking that the runway is in fact clear.

Everywhere else - clearance to land given as late as short final after ATC have confirmed the runway is clear. Captain still technically bears the responsibilty of confirming that but its easy to feel ATC have done that for you....

"Cleared to land, number X"
used to be the old US ATC clearance

Why did it change?

Haven't got the ICAO doc but does it come under the heading of 'anticipated separation'?

“Everywhere else - clearance to land given as late as short final after ATC have confirmed the runway is clear.”

At Paris CdG they used to clear you to land when you were number 2 or 3, like in the USA. Don’t know if they still do?

On first contact with Approach or Tower ?

Approach cannot give a landing clearance. Tower, if there is one and it is open, provides the landing clearance. No tower, or tower not open, then no landing clearance issued or needed. (USA)