Originally Posted by CPH-Flyer

Well, I am still waiting for how you know for a fact what the weather was like in Haneda by taking a walk in Meguro.

I am not saying that the ground stop in O'hare or Houston, that I used as examples, were any more safe or unsafe than the Japanese one. I used them as examples to demonstrate that ground stops are quite common, as you initially said such a thing was a choice of the people operating Haneda and not done elsewhere. It is not about safety concern.

I have no reason to believe that the ground stop in Haneda was excessive, but as you know for a fact, please provide the data to substantiate that. And a stroll in Meguro is not data. I have said that it is possible that it was too long, but I don't have the data. The Haneda ground stop lasted about 2 hours, the O'hare one about 90 minutes. I am sure there are in both airports quite capable people who are able to read the weather data, make assessments, and take decisions on when to stop and start ground movements. Do they get it perfectly right? Probably not. Do they get it mostly right? Probably. Unlike you, I start by assuming that they know what they are doing.

Japanese officialdom and bureaucrats have many drawbacks, and can be rather frustrating to deal with. But the operation of transport infrastructure is an area where the way of working is actual rather applicable. Dealing with a bank or the local kuyakusho, not so much.

I'll certainly join the side of delays, cancellations, and recovery after weather related events to be better in Japan in the US. The handling of typhoons and hurricanes, being my prime experience of that. In the US the system far less reselient, despite it being a quiet common event. And thus the upset are far greater. Again nothing to do with my safety, but something to do with being over cautious because the system is not good enough.

Where I see a big fail, is ANA not serving some water, and not communicating better. Though in the O'hare case the airline saying "we are not moving, and we don't have a plan" does also not really score high marks for the communication award of the year. I did read up on the tarmac delay rules in the US, for an international flight, that's 4 hours so no time overrun it seems had the rules been here as well. But a failure on the refreshment clause in the rules. There is a requirement for an airline to always have water and the snack, which is not unreasonable, and a requirement to serve it after 2 hours if safe to do so.