A taildragger configuration for modern airlines comes with several disadvantages: - Visibility during taxiing is much worse. - Braking hard will result in a headstand. And with todays landing speeds, breaking hard is needed if you want to fly from standard length runways. Carrier-borne aircraft were the first to feel this consequence of increasing landing speeds, so they converted first to tricycle gears. ![TBM-3U after having landed on wheels and nose][1] That is what is colloquially called a headstand (Picture [source][2]) - Loading and unloading will become more complicated. The current way of sliding containers manually on a flat deck would need to be replaced by internal winches pulling the containers up the ramp to the door. - Drag during ground roll is much higher as long as tail lift not sufficient to get the tail up. Take-off distances would also become longer. In short, it comes down to minimizing field lengths and increasing safety. [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/XxabX.jpg [2]: http://replicainscale.blogspot.de/2011/08/walkin-dog-chief-goes-to-france-hawks.html