The Boeing 747 is considered to have the longest takeoff distance of the more common aircraft types and has set the standard for runway lengths of larger international airports. At sea level, 3,200 m (10,500 ft) can be considered an adequate length to land virtually any aircraft.
Generally, a typical runway length for a fully loaded Boeing 747-400, one of the most common variants, is around 10,000 to 12,000 feet (3,048 to 3,658 meters) for takeoff.
When all is said and done, the Airbus A380 needs 3,000 m (9,800 ft) of runway to take off fully-loaded, while the Boeing 747-8 requires 3,100 m (10,200 ft).
A longer runway allows more time for adjustments and reduces the risk of running out of resources before the goal is achieved. Landing bigger planes represents larger goals, opportunities, or challenges.
With necessary runway requirements at just over 6000 feet, the 737-200 is able to access a great number of additional airports in comparison to its competition in the class.
How much runway does a 737-800 need to land? According to the performance chart for the Boeing 737-800, at sea level under ISA conditions with a takeoff weight of 140,000lbs, the runway length requirement is 1510 metres. At an altitude of 1220 metres that same 737-800, requires 1830 metres.
Irausquin Airport (IATA: SAB, ICAO: TNCS) is an airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba. Its runway is widely acknowledged as the shortest commercial runway in the world, with a length of 400 m (1,312 ft).
The most dangerous airport in Europe is Gibraltar Airport. Although it goes by a few other names, Gibraltar Airport (also known as North Front Airport) has a reputation for being Europe's most dangerous airport. The airport's runway passes directly through the heart of Gibraltar, about 500 meters away.
All large commercial jets can land automatically, but still with plenty of pilot involvement. So-called autoland systems are a part of aircraft autopilots. All large modern jets are equipped with such systems, which can automatically land the aircraft, albeit under careful supervision from the pilots themselves.
Also known as the Dreamliner, the Boeing 787 is revered for having helped kick off the current generation of air travel, building upon the twin-engine, long-range revolution.