Question

Why do we design airports for some capacity less than the highest capacity we can ever expect?

Answer 1

Why do we design airports for some capacity less than the highest capacity we can ever expect?

The Vice President Joe Biden says that, Across the world, newer airport facilities, such as Changi in Singapore or Schiphol in Amsterdam, look like the breezy, sleek future of air travel envisioned in midcentury travel advertising. However, back in the United States, air travel, especially during the summer, can often feel as glamorous as being packed into a crowded subway car during rush hour, with even less personal space

According to the textbook, There are approximately 5,200 airports that are open for use to the general public, nearly all of which have at least one lighted and/or paved runway. Of the 5,200 public use airports in the United States, approximately 4,200 are publicly owned, either by the local municipality, county, state, or by an "authority" made up of municipal, county, and/or state officials. The remaining 1,000 are privately owned, by individuals, corporations, or private airport management companies.

I believe the airports are not designed to the highest capacity because sometimes the expectations of the growth in air travel is far more than ever imagined or sometimes it can be less. So there is always a little room left to add more facilities whenever needed.