Can the largest passenger aircraft land safely at Katunayake Airport ?

It is said that the newsiest airport which is being built at Maththala will have runways which are made to land the biggest aircrafts in the world. Today my topic will be based on Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake.

As u all know a runway is used in both landing and taking off an aircraft. In the construction of a runway a highly specified technology and highly recommended materials are used. It should be constructed according to global standards. The types of aircraft which can be landed on a runway differ with the materials and the technology which heave been used in constructing the runway. The runways in Katunayake Airport have been made using Asphalt and the technologies used do agree with the global standards. Many of the aircraft used in present can be landed on these runways.

The breadth and the length of runways play a big role in the capability of landing an aircraft on them. If the runway is too long it more capable in lifting aircraft with a massive weight. (But there are some other issues which should be considered. That means a considerable breadth). Generally a runway is made as its rigidity get reduced

from middle to some extend through the breadth. And the ends are made with a low rigidity. These two ends are called as “Runway Shoulders” which cause the procedure of landing an aircraft. 

This is the runway in our airport. It is 45m wide in breadth. Each of the runway shoulders are 7.5m wide in breadth. So the total breadth of our runway is 60m. The area extended from middle to 150m away from there through breadth is called as “Graded Area”. The length of this runway is 3.35km.

Let’s consider the biggest passenger aircraft manufactured up to now. It is Airbus A380.

Airbus A380 is shown in the figure sketched in black colour. It is 73m in length. The breadth from one wing to another wing is 79.8m. it has four engines and the breadth between two engines is 64m. 

 Our runway is 60m in breadth. But the breadth between the wings of Airbus A380 is 79.8m. Now you will think in this way. If the landing gears can touch the runway and if the other parts of the aircraft do not touch the runway why the aircraft can not be landed on it? But the engines become the trouble. It is clear that the engines are away from the runway shoulders if it is landed. Engines suck air to combust fuel. The area away from the runway shoulders contains dirty air. So it won’t let the engines perform well. So it can lead for an air crash. But inside the runway shoulders the air is somewhat pure. So to land this aircraft we should extend our runway at least 7.5m in breadth. That means the total breadth of the runway shoulders must be 15m. Breadth of the middle area of the runway is quite enough to land this aircraft. That means 45m is enough. But to land this aircraft the runway must be capable in handling its weight. So the MTOW too is considered. (Maximum Take Off Weight). And also the friction force acted too in considered. The length to be traveled to take off increases with the weight of the aircraft. So there the length of the runway too is considered.

So it’s clear that Airbus A380 can not be landed due to our prevailing runway conditions in Katunayake International Airport.