Large Aircraft

[Provost32]

As I look at different things for this game, I have seen a couple of comments (not on the game or this forum) talking about how impossible it is to run large aircraft, and they have to be subsidized by a huge short haul fleet.

So my question to people currently with and playing the game is this....

IS it possible to run large aircraft (B747, A340 etc...) at a profit?

Not there in my first game yet, but I hope to be soon.

[1993matias]

Short answer: No.

The maintenance costs will be way to big, especially if you already have an old fleet. The largest aircraft you should operate is 767/330 or similar.

[Provost32]

Okay.

Thanks

[CoasterMal]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered many times, but why is it designed this way?  Obviously real world airlines make profits with large long haul.

[StephenM]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered many times, but why is it designed this way?  Obviously real world airlines make profits with large long haul.

Its not that we specifically sat down and make it work like this, it is more the dyanmics of the game and the model we use. There is no connecting traffic in AM, and there is only a small bonus at airports for large networks. The entire game is built off of single class of service, at maximum economy configuration for seating. The best financial results are from medium sized narrow body aircraft where a strong fare can be maintained with a low frequency. When you try to benchmark a long-haul route in AM vs the real world you will find only a few examples where these are similar.
The assumptions and the model are far from perfect but so far they have delivered an easy to use game that many people enjoy. We are always working on improvements, and model improvements are a little bigger and are less likely to appear in any game world without a major change.

[CoasterMal]

Thanks for the reply!  I understand.  One other question.  At what point are airlines eliminated from competition?  In the world I'm playing in for example there are five $10-44 million in the hole and a huge one that is almost $800 million in the hole.

[StephenM]

We did bankrupt them once they went into a negative value quite some time ago, but we turned it off as some could make a come back. We never went back to see if we can do a smarter choice when bankrupting airlines with a negative value. The players will either ask for a reset or possibly just leave their airline alone if they cannot recover.

[CoasterMal]

The reason that I ask is that the particular one in world 2505 is obviously a non-recoverable, non-functional airline, yet it is still serving passengers on 118 routes.  Doesn't this have an impact on how viable airlines can perform on those routes?

[CamKrist]

I sent you in pm

[Consumer]

I have not tried it but if you succeed in doing it, please, let me know about it.

[LizaSmith]

The world's largest cargo plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, landed in Anchorage on Thursday for a layover while transporting medical supplies from China to Canada. The An-225 is a one-of-a-kind plane originally developed to transport the Soviet Union's Buran shuttle and components of the Energiya rocket.

[metallurgy]

I myself have had the privilege of actually seeing this aircraft land and take-off. And it is a sight to behold! Believe me, when I tell you, it puts a 747-400 to shame, in the sheer size and how slow it "seems" to be moving just to get off the ground. I am thankful I will always have that memory. 

[Thunderstruck]

What does this aircraft sound like? It must be quite something...