Built-In Limitations Dog Airport

Burbank Airport Director Thomas Greer sees little chance that the airport can achieve its goal of raising its passenger total to 5 million a year by luring long-range flights.

One limitation is the airport’s north-south runway, which is substantially longer than the east-west runway but still not long enough to accommodate many of the larger jetliners that are commonly used on routes to such distant points as Chicago and New York.

Runway length becomes critical when Santa Ana winds blow, forcing pilots to take off to the north, into the wind, Greer said.

Because the north end of the runway is 95 feet higher than the south end, planes have to climb uphill.

The runway’s shorter-than-ideal length and the uphill climb often combine to force aircraft to carry less than the full fuel load needed for a long trip, airport officials said.

In addition, the airport’s prohibition on landings and takeoffs between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. “makes it pretty tough to get a plane from the East Coast in by the curfew unless it leaves early” in the evening, Greer said.

Thus, airport officials say they will continue to rely chiefly on short-haul passengers. And they expect most of those customers to continue to be vacationers and business travelers from the prime local industries--high-technology, aerospace and entertainment--taking day trips to cities within 500 miles.