The annoying Qantas safety rule that is infuriating Aussies and turning their trips into nightmares

Aviation experts have explained why passengers are left sitting on the tarmac in a plane for hours if something goes wrong.

Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of airlineratings.com, said “you wouldn’t dream” of allowing passengers to leave the airport unless there is a serious emergency.

The expert, who has 45 years of experience in the industry, told Daily Mail Australia that the rule was to keep passengers and crew safe.

It comes after Qantas passengers flying from Sydney to the Gold Coast on Tuesday evening were stranded on the tarmac for three hours after landing.

Up to 120 customers had to wait for qualified drivers and engineers to assess a problem with the aircraft’s nose wheel steering.

After several hours, the aircraft was towed manually to the terminal by a tugboat.

It comes just days after the embattled airline was forced to apologize to passengers on Boeing 737 flight QF93 from Melbourne to Los Angeles after they waited on the tarmac for six hours before their flight was ultimately cancelled.

Mr Thomas said there were several reasons why passengers could not disembark in the operational area of ​​the airport, including simply that it was taking too long.

He said it can take an hour to get people on and off the plane, with some passengers then walking away or having a few too many drinks at the airport bar.

“Then you have people who get off and decide there is something wrong with the plane and get nervous,” the expert said.

He said if the passenger then decided to leave the terminal, their luggage would have to be retrieved from the hold, which would take even more time.

Mr Thomas said it may take longer to return to the terminal if a tug is not available, regardless of whether there is a mechanical failure or not.

“Tows are always racing from one plane to another,” he explained, adding that towing a broken plane rather than fixing the fault was always a last resort.

Mr Thomas said it was common in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi and Doha for passengers to be bused to the plane through a remote car park because there were not enough gates at the airport.

However, passengers in Australia are more likely to board planes via an aerobridge or by taking a short walk across the tarmac to a staircase.

Passengers in Australia board planes via an aerobridge or by taking a short walk across the tarmac to a staircase (photo)

Peter White of Aviation Projects Australia told Daily Mail Australia that unloading an aircraft in the operational area of ​​an airport posed significant risks, such as passengers wandering off or a medical episode on the tarmac.

“Safety is number one for airlines, as is the protection of aircraft,” he said.

‘It is different for crew members who are trained and qualified. Passengers are untrained and unauthorized, even if it is just a short walk.”

He said tugboats are not necessarily owned by airlines but are usually provided by airport contractors, meaning they are not always readily available.

Mr White agreed that passengers would only be asked to evacuate straight to the tarmac in the event of an emergency, such as an engine fire.

“That would be a very serious situation, with firefighters and police,” he said.

Passengers are at greater risk of harm in the middle of an operational airport, with the majority of airlines preferring to keep people on board during delays or technical issues

It is understood that for safety reasons, Qantas passengers cannot disembark directly on a runway unless it is an emergency. Therefore, flights taxi to a bay near the terminal once they land.

In the case of the Sydney to Gold Coast flight on Tuesday evening, the plane was unable to taxi off the runway on its own due to a hydraulic problem and had to wait to be towed.

In addition, there were no buses available at Gold Coast Airport to transport customers from the aircraft to the terminal.

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “For safety reasons, passengers cannot board an aircraft directly onto an aircraft runway.”