Originally Posted by
Aluminium shuffler
And I do agree with the comments about airport capacity/slots, though I hadn't really considered it before; I had though that crowded routes benefit, but the comments about extended wake separation are true and the overall number pf passenger movements correspondingly suffer.
It's not rocket science. An A380 typically needs 6nm between it and the heavy following it, whereas a pair of heavies need 4nm separation. So if, as in the example quoted, the 777 has fewer than two-thirds the number of seats of the A380 then the A380 increases runway capacity (pax/hr). If not, the opposite applies..