A380's 575-tonne maximum weight forced airports to rethink infrastructure
The Airbus A380's size and weight pushed major international hubs to overhaul runways, taxiways and gates that had been designed around the Boeing 747, according to an industry report.
The Airbus A380 changed how major international airports plan their space, according to a report on the double-decker's effect on airport infrastructure. Hubs had built their runways, taxiways and terminal gates around the dimensions of the Boeing 747, which no other jet had challenged until the A380 arrived with a maximum weight of up to 575 tonnes (1,268,000 lbs). That set off a wave of infrastructure upgrades at airports around the world, which the report says cost billions of dollars.
The account focuses on the aircraft's dimensions and weight rather than on specific airports or projects.
Sources
- simpleflying.comHow The Airbus A380's 575-Tonne Maximum Weight Creates Infrastructure Problems At Airports Built Around The Boeing 747