News
LA supersizes runway to accommodate enlarged jets
04 April 2007
Hollywood high-flyers will be able to take to the skies from the newly reopened final runway at Los Angeles International Airport eight months after work began to improve safety on the runway.
A renovation costing airport authorities £168m began after concerns were raised that planes landing and taking off were narrowly avoiding brushing against each other too often.
The southernmost runway was closed and rebuilt 55 feet further away to create more space for planes to pass each other.
Moreover, the widened space will allow increasingly bulky planes to manoeuvre safely as the airport prepares to welcome aircraft such as the double-decker Airbus A380 on a regular basis.
The Airbus, which has a wingspan of 261 feet, landed at Los Angeles for the first time on 19 March.
Los Angeles will now 'be better able to efficiently handle the next generation of aircraft that are coming into service in the near future', city mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
In 2006, 61 million passengers passed through Los Angeles airport, making it the world's fifth busiest airport.
© Adfero Ltd
A renovation costing airport authorities £168m began after concerns were raised that planes landing and taking off were narrowly avoiding brushing against each other too often.
The southernmost runway was closed and rebuilt 55 feet further away to create more space for planes to pass each other.
Moreover, the widened space will allow increasingly bulky planes to manoeuvre safely as the airport prepares to welcome aircraft such as the double-decker Airbus A380 on a regular basis.
The Airbus, which has a wingspan of 261 feet, landed at Los Angeles for the first time on 19 March.
Los Angeles will now 'be better able to efficiently handle the next generation of aircraft that are coming into service in the near future', city mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
In 2006, 61 million passengers passed through Los Angeles airport, making it the world's fifth busiest airport.
© Adfero Ltd
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