Originally Posted by
Often1
Actually, the times shown on the websites drawing from commercial data such as EF are when the brakes are locked at the gate. That is considered "arrival" worldwide. But, the EU looks to the time the first cabin door is opened and available for passenger offloading. That might make a 30-second difference in some cases, but in others it could be longer.
This wouldn't happen in July in the northern hemisphere, but in really cold winter weather, on the first flight to arrive at a gate in the early morning, I have waited as much as half an hour for jetway wheels to be unfrozen so it could be moved into position. Much of the delay was the time it took to locate the unfreezing equipment and (at 5 am) someone who knew how to operate it, and get both of them to our gate.