The US Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the Boeing 747-8 to operate at airports with parallel runway and taxiway centreline distances identical to that of its smaller predecessor, the 747-400, despite it having a greater wingspan and being slightly taller.
The FAA determined that the Boeing 747-8, which is classified as an Airport Design Guidelines (ADG) category VI aircraft, can operate to the ADG V standard taxiway/runway separation distances.
In a 12 March memorandum from the FAA's Airport Engineering Division, to Airports Regional Division managers, the agency said the 747-8 can operate on ADG V parallel runway and taxiway centreline distances, "as long as the tail height is within the ADG V limit" of 20.1m (66ft).
At 19.5m, the 747-8's tail stands around 10cm higher than that of the 747-400, due to the extra length of the fuselage on the stretched variant.
Source: Flight International
