The A-380 is becoming increasingly popular as airlines look for ways to move the maximum number of passengers at the lowest cost (Stafford, 2006). The A380 is made in passenger or cargo versions. The A380-800 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world. When the passenger areas are divided into three classes, the A380 can accommodate 550 passengers. When the entire plane is designated economy class, it seats 853 people. There is 50% more cabin space than the Boeing 747 because the A380's upper deck spans the entire length of the fuselage (“Airbus a380 airfield”, 2011). In 2010, over 30 were already in use and more are expected in the near future (Young & Wells, 2011, p. 473). Due to the size and weight of the planes, airports will have to make major renovations, improvements and expansions to accommodate them. Airport DesignMost airports were not designed to accommodate aircraft of this size. The A380 requires more space, both horizontally and vertically, when taxiing, holding and flying. Many airports are already limited when it comes to take-off and landing slots. Suggested in-flight separation times for an A380 would be 10-30% longer than a Boeing 747. Instead of helping with congestion problems, the A380 may actually slow things down (Stafford, 2006). Linear airport designs would be much more practical for the A380. They allow for greater flexibility in gate assignments and provide space for large aircraft. The linear design is also more efficient because it reduces taxiing time and the number of turns a plane must make to reach the gate. Large planes cannot reach the central gates in the cross-shaped concourses. It is also much easier to expand a linear atrium than a cross-shaped one (DeNeufvi...... middle of paper ......2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=20026091Hughes, J. (2007, April 27).Airbus A380 May Limit Seattle Airport Capacity PI. J, Goetsch, B &. Koch, B. (2006). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost .com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/.ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=90c929b6-7a2d-4379-ba8b-2f7834967fb9%40sessionmgr114&vid=8&hid=14Stafford, N. (2006, September 28) Nature, 443(7110), 385 Retrieved from http://.web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=93690497-d30f-4f52-8418-14820520ff78%40sessionmgr113&vid=11&hid=113Young S. & Wells, A. (2011). (6th ed.).