Well said 16 Blades. Methinks 747focal has more than just a passing interest. Could it be he lives near Seattle?
Airbus is currently beating the pants off Boeing because they are producing aircraft that the airlines want - not what Boeing think the airlines should have.
Of course Airbus have factored in all the information. Do you honestly think they would press on with production if (a) the runways couldn't take the weight, (b) the airports couldn't handle the extra pax, (c) there were insufficient MDA's available to take the aircraft if it got into trouble?
Come on. Boeing. You've had a good run at it. Stop bitching. Now there is real competition and you find yourselves well behind the curve. Fight back with a better aircraft - and that isn't going to be the Dreamliner.