Safety, Other Issues May Arrive With New Airliner

The size of the new A380 airliner poses some potential safety challenges for U.S. airports. As a result, airports expecting A380 service may need to modify their infrastructure or impose operating restrictions, such as restrictions on runway use, on the A380 and other aircraft to ensure an acceptable level of safety, according to a new US government report.

In addition, increased separation between the A380 and other aircraft during landing and departure is also required because research data indicate that the air turbulence created by the A380’s wake is stronger than the largest aircraft in use today, says the report, issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO is the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress.

Airbus S.A.S. (Airbus), a European aircraft manufacturer, is introducing the A380, expecting it to enter service late this year. The A380 will be the largest passenger aircraft in the world, with a wingspan of about 262 feet, a tail fin reaching 80 feet high, and a maximum takeoff weight of 1.2 million pounds. The A380 has a double deck and could seat up to 853 passengers.

The impact of A380 operations on air capacity is uncertain, GAO says.

The A380 was designed, in part, to help alleviate capacity constraints faced by many large airports in the United States and around the world by accommodating more passengers and freight on each flight than any aircraft currently in use.

"However, potential operating restrictions and the increased separation requirements imposed to ensure the safety of the A380 and other aircraft at airports and during flight could reduce the number of flights that airports can accommodate," the report says. "The extent to which possible operating restrictions, increased separation, and gate utilization impact capacity would depend on the time of day, the number of A380 operations, and the volume of overall airport traffic."

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