And still you wait. Then a voice, more than a little abashed, comes over the speakers. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. Because of the 11pm curfew imposed at Sydney Airport, the pilot continues, the plane has been refused permission to depart. You will taxi back to the terminal where airline staff will try to find you hotel rooms for the night.
Many passengers are agog.
More are furious. None more so than the pair of executives across the aisle. They have just made this connection after spending more than 30 hours flying home from South America. A true story. One in a litany of horror stories that seasoned travellers tell, through gritted teeth, about Sydney Airport.