Certainly needs a lot of space.
http://usa-c295.com/blog/index.php?id=113
GAO: A380 too dangerous
May 7, 2007, 11:09 pm
The new Airbus A380 superjumbo is too dangerous for American airports.
That’s what the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says in a new report. The GAO is the independent accounting arm of the US Congress. The new report says it will cost billions of dollars to upgrade American airports to accomodate the giant aircraft safely. Among GAO’s concerns, according to a summary by Bloggingstocks.com:
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Most U.S. runways were not built for planes of this size and weight, and will require an upgrade, service restrictions, or both.
* The increased turbulence it will create on landing and takeoff will mean a need for more buffer area around the plane to guard against impacting other flights.
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This could result in possible reduction in flights and therefore airport handling capacity.
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Its size will impose a large burden on fire and rescue operations.
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The cost of retrofitting airports to accommodate A-380 could be a problem. Heathrow in London has spent $885 million to prepare for the plane’s flights.
The title of the 72-page GAO report is Commercial Aviation: Potential Safety and Capacity Issues Associated with the Introduction of the New A380 Aircraft.
Actually it might be in America’s best security interests not to upgrade most airports to take on these mostrosities (oops I mean flying Allah bombs).
This is not particularly directed to you, sage. I just wonder how independent (meaning fair-minded and open) the GAO really is, given the amount of "independence" found in all other elements of government.