Originally Posted by
PiperCameron
The problem stems from a particular combination of airport owners who, having been handed the keys to vast tracts of prime commercial real estate by the federal government many moons ago, simply don't know what they're doing ("What's a taxiway? Don't you mean the entry ramp to the carpark?!?") engaging large engineering consulting firms who also don't know what they're doing ("Does that taxiway really need to go right to the end? If we stop it here instead, there'll be more money for car parking").
It seems they're a bit more familiar with aircraft and airports in the US since most folks over there know what they're used for (a hint: no, it's not car parking).
Also, most airports in the US including major ones are owned by the local municipality. If I'm not mistaken, Los Angeles World Airports Inc which runs LAX and other areas around LAX are owned by the City of Los Angeles.