Questions and Answers

If I can get my boarding pass for the direct return printed ahead & wouldn’t the return flight be the same plane at the same taxi/holding room? Then why do one have to go through transfers/customs? Just wait to return into the same plane, no? (e.g. Hkg/ KUL/SIN etc) Or are situations for direct turn around at Cairo/ Middle East different?

Not all airports are setup the same and rules vary by country and airport. Most airports can reroute jetways and direct deplaning traffic to a different level of the airport where the only way out is via transit security or immigration. You wouldnt be able to just wait at that area because it’ll be blocked off.

Sometimes, youre deplaning at a remote stand and there could be a change that the aircraft will be moved to a gate for boarding the next flight.

I know that at HKG, you have to pass thru transit security because you exit the plane onto the arrivals level. The same applies for the US. In Singapore, you do exit out into the departures level so theoretically, you can wait at the gate area. However, for the Etihad flight in particular, the plane sits on the ground for several hours, away from the gate, so a “direct turn” in this case is very long.

Hi [USER=3165]@Ron[/USER], and welcome! Each airport has different setups, which influences how turns can be done. In some, like Panama City, you can just get off the plane and then back on. In others, like Nicaragua, you have to actually enter the country through immigration, go through security, exit through passport control, etc., before you get back on the plane.