Term Paper on "Airbus A380 What Major U.S. Airports"

/>Airbus first began developing the plane in 1994, and scheduled the first deliveries for 2006, but the company has experienced difficulties in several design areas of the plane, from wiring to weight, and delivery times have been extended three times. The delays have cost Airbus orders for the plane, with several customers canceling or scaling back their orders because of the extended delays. Singapore Airlines is the first customer scheduled to receive delivery of planes in October 2007. Other future operators include Lufthansa, Quantas, and Virgin Atlantic. Even under this duress, Airbus is already planning a 1,023-seat triple-decker plane for future production. Clearly, this would create another construction and logistical problem with American airports.

Many aviation experts wonder just what Airbus was thinking when they designed the A380. A great many believe the flying public may not accept such a large airplane; they simply do not want to fly long distances with that many people. One author quotes a source as saying, "I know that I'd hate to be the 555th person to get off after I've been flying for 12 hours'" (Velotta, 2006). The ever-present airline travel worries about lost luggage, long lines, finding parking, and security check-in may cause many people to simply bypass flights on the Airbus because they ultimately are too time consuming and crowded. Whether the flying public accepts the plane remains to be seen, no one can predict what their reaction will be at this time. However, the Airbus A380 is massive, and that is the biggest problem with the world's largest plane. It is simply too large for most airports, and the modifications necessary to make airports A380 compatible are costly - too costly for many.

So, what are airports doing to accommodate the A380? To be ready to receive the aircraft, airports around the country are undertaking massive construction and redesign projects. One author notes, "Airports in the United States are spending more than $900 million on changes to accommodate the A380" (Korry, 2007). Most airports are still working on changes, while a few have already made modifications to be able to receive the plane. Another author notes, "San Francisco International Airport announced their readiness to welcome the A380 back in 2004, and other airports are working to be able to be ready to meet the increased demands with its 500-plus passenger loads" (Huff, 2007). Terminals will have to be enlarged, jetways will have to be bigger and taller, and runways and taxiways will have to be enlarged or reinforced to accommodate the heavier aircraft. Here are some of the things a number of the biggest airports in the U.S. are doing to get ready for the Airbus A380.

Loading Bridges or Jetways

Since the A380 is a double-decker, at least two loading bridges will have to be used to board and deboard passengers from the plane. While some airports are already equipped with double bridges, many more are not. In San Francisco, the airport built an entire new terminal from the ground up to accommodate the A380, complete with twenty-four gates. Each gate is equipped with dual loading bridges so both decks of the plane can load simultaneously. To board and deboard the plane quickly and effectively, gates serving the plane will have to have two bridges, and this can be a costly addition for many airports. These bridges will have to be on two levels to match up with the plane's configuration, and they will have to be longer than traditional jetways in most cases.

Wingspan

At 261-feet, the plane's wingspan is wider than most existing taxiways and runways, and this means it could actually hit something alongside a taxiway or runway, and other planes would all have to stay off taxiways and runways as the plane it taxies and takes off or lands. This could cause flight delays for other flights, and even dangerous situations if a plane strayed onto a taxiway or runway where it should not be. Many airports do note believe that inconveniencing thousands of passengers on other flights is worth the cost of allowing the plane to land at their airport (Velotta, 2006). Many airports are widening taxiways and runways to accommodate the wingspan, but it would also have to be accommodated at the gates. Instead of pulling in nose first, the plane might have to pull in parallel to the gate to allow the loading bridges to attach, and this means many gate areas would be too narrow for the plane's wingspan as well. The wingspan is only one problem the plane's huge design is creating for airport designers and builders. There are many more considerations that seem to be popping up as the plane gets closer to actual service.

Hangars

Because the A380 is longer and wider (almost as wide as a football field), than any other jetliner, it will eventually need larger hangers to accommodate it when it is not in the air. Some foreign airports have already added larger hangars, complete with "megadoors" necessary to accommodate the plane. For maintenance in the U.S., hangers are going to have to be located on at least a few tarmacs to accommodate routine or emergency maintenance of the plane. Potentially, there could be a need for more mechanics and other airport service personnel as well, just to service and maintain the plane.

Fuel Tanks

Currently, airports utilize underground fuel tanks to quickly refuel planes before they take off. These fuel tanks would have to be enlarged, or new tanks would have to be added to accommodate the fuel needs of the plane, which carries nearly 82,000 gallons of jet fuel. In addition, underground tanks would probably have to be reconfigured to match up to the plane's parameters for fueling. Replacing the tanks and reconfiguring them could close entire gate areas while the work is being done, and could inconvenience passengers using the airport during the construction.

Terminals

As mentioned, terminals will have to be reconfigured with double-decker gates to board and deboard the planes. Terminals and gates will also have to be bigger to accommodate the crush of more passengers and their baggage. In addition, baggage areas will have to be enlarged, and baggage carousels will have to be enlarged to deal with all the baggage from passengers. There is even speculation that services such as restrooms will need to be added, because of the crush of passengers using them before takeoff and after landing. (See "sewer surge" below). Restaurants and other services will certainly have to be added for passengers, as well, such as larger rent-a-car fleets in A380 airports, and even more baggage carts will need to be brought in. Just about any service used at an airport will have to be expanded because of the large number of people arriving and departing all at once. Check-in counters at the gate and in the terminals may have to be expanded to handle more people, too.

Taxiways and Runways

Many airports are putting most of their dollars into building larger taxiways and runways for the plane, partly because of its weight, and partially because of its wingspan, which is wider than most runways and taxiways in existence today. Some new taxiway designs for the plane include wider turns, allowing the big plane to rotate more easily and effectively (Pastzor, 2005). In… READ MORE