HELPFUL PLANNING and Thoughts to get started...

[A-Train]

Every time I start a new airport (my next one will be my 11th), I choose the map size and game mode (usually Sandbox and XL) and immediately pause the game once it loads.

Then, I find it is VERY helpful to create reference marks on the map using the PLANNING TOOL.

What I will do is use the Taxiway selection (which creates a 10x10 tile square) and mark the map edges in a checkerboard pattern. So I know every one is 10 tiles. The XL map is 250 tiles wide by 200 tiles in height.

Next, I will find the center of each axis and make a two-tile wide line (because that makes it even to each side...) at 125/126 across (vertically) and 100 down (horizontally) about two thirds of the way across the map. This gives me the center and breaks the map into four equal parts.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931598215

At this point I can start planning based on what I KNOW. Which is this:
- Traffic (and thus Pax) are going to flow south from the top left corner of the map, and I cannot change this road.
- It will be a bit before I research roads (have to research Operations, the build an office for the COO and hire one, and THEN you can research Roads), and even doing so they are cost prohibitive early in the game.
- Runways cost $100,000 and are 10x90 tiles.
- Taxiway sections cost $16,000 and are 10x10 tiles.
- Large Gates can handle up to B767s (250 Pax), cost $28,000 and are 20x20 tiles.
- XL Gates can handle ANY aircraft, cost $42,500, and are 30x30 tiles.

It is best to use the Taxiway planning tool to represent these aspects of construction, as they will match up on the grid.

So, with a bigger overall plan in mind, let me throw out a simple starting plan for an airport.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931621687

What I have done is used the KNOWNS to come up with a single-runway design serving one XL gate and five L gates. The runway (10x90 tiles) falls between the yellow lines. The taxiways (10x10 tiles each) connect at the ends (thresholds) and the next section past the thresholds.

Why did I do this? Well, you don't have to to start with. Normally players would just run the taxiway up against the sides of the threshold tiles, and that works. BUT, I am using a KNOWN I didn't mention yet:

- Landing aircraft will turn off the active a tile short of the threshold. (And thus clear the active just a little quicker. Which means the next departing flight [perhaps sitting at the other end of the runway waiting to take off] will roll sooner and get out of your airspace.

Now, you don't necessarily have to build the XL gate first. You could build the left-most L gate first, And in the end you've spend $24K more on 3 additional pieces of Taxiway. Also, note you don't have to build the double-wide Taxiway from the start, it's just part of the planning. Furthermore, you could not have the Large gates meet the terminal along the same line as the XL gate. There are LOTS of options. I'm just trying to give you some basis for thought in planning.

More KNOWNS to consider:
- The longer from runway to gate, the more time an aircraft spends on the ground.
- If you expect aircraft to have to pass each other, then plan on double-wide taxiways.
- An XL gate will handle ALL aircraft, but is slightly more expensive and, when you start bringing in larger planes, will need more support space (Gate Agent Desks, Que lines, more Security and Ticketing Desks/Kiosks to handle the Pax throughput).

These are things to keep in mind and plan for, but not necessarily BUILD right away due to budget constraints. Just PLAN for them. An XL gate is ok, just don't build the terminal capacity for upwards of 1,000 Pax from the get-go. (Because the mostly full B747 or A380 you want is going to create that much throughput for ONE flight.)

Other KNOWNS to keep in mind:
- Pax will WALK across the map to get to where they are going. Just slightly slower than if they were on a sidewalk or carpeted/tiled floor.
- The pre-indicated Zones are probably NOT where I want them. (Delete)
- I have to create a Delivery Zone to receive supplies.
- A delivery truck brings supplies. The more they bring, the longer they hold up the ONE road. (Thus, I should get as much building out of the way possible before opening for Pax).
- Roads cost $8,000 for a 2x2 square. It is a HUGE help to research them ASAP, so you can get your Delivery and Garbage trucks out of the way of Pax vehicles (Buses, cars...) while doing their jobs. But it will cost $100,000 or more to build a side road for them.

When you're looking to build, you want to plot around where you plan on having Runways, Taxiways, and Gates. If you can envision your BIG plan from the start, then you can actually build small and set up for EXPANSION based on the plan.

Which leads us to a few more KNOWNS to remember:
- Anything you build can be dismantled and moved.
- Your initial build doesn't have to fit your bigger plan. It just helps if you can expand from it.
- Plan for stages of expansion. If you're going to add another gate, you're probably going to need to add at least one more Security line (ID Check Stand, Bag Scanner, etc.), and additional Ticketing capacity, not to mention Baggage Claim.

So with all these KNOWNS in mind, let's see how to plan out this airport...

For starters, we're going to build the Runway ($100,000) and just enough taxiway to get to the XL gate ($42,500), with connections at runway ends ($272,000). So that's $414,500 of our $1,000,000 gone. (Oh, and I would suggest researching COO and CEO from the get-go, so that's another $12,000 out.) Thus now we have $573,500 to work with.

Here's how I've planned out the terminal:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931644670

You can see the walls are magenta. White areas are for future expansion. For now we are building just enough to run the XL gate. Starting there, the Large Sliding Door is cyan, as are the Gate Agent Desks. There's plenty of room for more. (Note, there are certain alignments where the desks will NOT fit flush against a wall. Learn these...)

The yellow/magenta stripes are que lines. Other cyan areas are striped out for Benches (1x4 tiles), Food Vending Machines and Flight Info Boards (1x1 square).

You can see I have planned space for female/male restrooms both inside and outside the Secure Area. Note the hallway leading into the men's room. This allows a narrower footprint, and DOES work.

The Security Exit is prior to the COO/CFO Offices (3x3 tiles, for a Office Desk [1x2 tiles], and a Office Chair (1x1). A doorway can connect the two) and Baggage Claim, which for now will only have one Baggage Carousel (3x5 tiles).

Ticketing is compact to start with. You can vary que line size to allow for more Ticket Kiosks (1x1 tile), but this design starts with only 2 Ticketing Desks (1x2 tiles - plus connection to the Baggage Routing System).

Security is likewise compact, having two 3-wide que lines (All Pax initially), and then two tiles for space (though one of these could be used for queing). The cyan represents the ID Check Stand (1x1), Baggage Scanner (1x3), and Metal Detectors (1x2). Then there is a gap following, as the Security staff stand beyond the MDs, and I like to have space for Pax to move.

Note that I have the expansion for Security to grow to 8 lanes. The next 5 gates have Foundation planning laid down, and an additional set of restrooms are planned as well. To serve 300+ Pax the XL gate area will have to be expanded, as shown by the magenta line extending downward.

Once I have assigned the Foundation building, we have $108,000 left. All that has to happen now is assigning a Delivery Zone and hire 10 or so Workers. They'll get busy.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd GO! x10 speed and we're off to building. It will take some time and money, as you're billed hourly for Worker wages. So... more than 10? Finish faster but costs more...Your choice.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931659639

Throw a Storage Zone in somewhere close to the entry. After initial construction is complete you'll need to add some walls and equipment. Looks like I went a little over on budget. So I could have gone a little less on foundation to the right of the gate, and made the restrooms a little smaller. You could hold off on office space and that research, but it REALLY helps to be able to research and build Roads and research (and increase) Pricing. But you can get by without those if you're patient.

One of the last aspects of initial construction will be the Fence. You'll need to connect the sides of the building to the top and bottom of the map, put in Security Exits, and assign the Security Zone, thus creating the Secure Area. Once done you can build your Baggage Routing Station, connect it to Ticket Desks and the Baggage Carousel, and build a Small Hangar with a Baggage Car to service aircraft.

NOTE you'll need to set up Zones, and assign Desks to Que lines. For now, you could just have All Passengers use que lines, or assign them to Coach or First Class only. In Ticketing, assign ticketing desks to que lines, assign ALL ID Check Stands to que lines (or Pax will run backwards through the Security Exit!), and Gate Agent Desks to ques. (A good place to divide Coach from First Class, but not necessary early).

Finally... Set up your other Zones. Dropoffs above Pickups (Logic dictates...), then Deliveries (that way trucks won't hold up Pax for a bit...), and finally Garbage. Hire Staff (9 security, 5 Staff, and a Janitor), and start scheduling flights. If you want to go a little more in the hole, or have $25,000 left, ADD RUNWAY LIGHTS. Then you can book night flights and more flights = more income.

Go back and Clear the planning from your areas you have built out, and let's FLY!

I would ADVISE AGAINST taking anything larger than a B707 to start with. You'll want 4-6 Gate Agent Desks, or have to extend the time out, to handle a B767 early on.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931666291

Good Planning, and use of the Planning Tools, will help you to achieve your desired airport.

Have fun!
A-Train
Dallas, Texas, USA (DAL, DFW)

[A-Train]

Ok, since I went a little over budget in my (much more than I planned) walk-through, I went back and did it again, and got it in and ready to accept flights with a few grand to spare. Runway is lit.

Still would NOT advise trying to take a 767 until you have expanded the facilities.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931704040

[A-Train]

Here's what things look like at the end of Day 1 of Pax operations (Day 3 of game).

Signing up for 8 flights provided a cash infusion that allowed a little expansion of the Ticketing Zone and the addition of a fourth Gate Agent Desk. This allows rapid boarding so all flight turn times have been reduced to 90 minutes and a 9th flight added. So another Staff member and Janitor were hired. One other minor detail two toilets were swapped out for urinals in the secure men's restroom.

You can see we finish the day with $14K+ and the max projected profit is $18,940.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931713835

[A-Train]

And now EVERYBODY wants to fly into the new airport. Having a high Pax Satisfaction (94.86) and Airline Satisfaction (61.99) has opened up a lot of options quickly. The XL gate makes this possible in part, as some airlines only have aircraft that fit on that size gate.

Now here's a big of a quandry... Some of the flights I have are E195 or CRJ. They can be replaced with larger aircraft, but at what cost? You have to pay to cancel a contract.

It will cost me $5,000 to cancel the Aerotime CRJ 900 (75 Pax) at 10pm, BUT, I get a $9,000 Acceptance Bonus with Star Connect to bring in an A320 (150 Pax) at night. So, I can DOUBLE the Pax on that flight AND make $4,000 in the process.

Make sure you look closely at fees for canceling a contract AND the signing bonus! There is money to be made there!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931716910

[john]

Nicely detailed. I do much the same as you in using the planning tool. I would like to see the grass color suppressed as it makes some of the colors more difficult to see and we need more colors!

I would recommend hiring the CFO first so you can research pricing. Than you can increase your fees to max out your income. In my current game I'm on day 26 with all the research the CFO can do completed. It will be a little while before I hire the COO as I'm slowly expanding my ticketing and security areas.

When building roads make sure you start from the bottom (exit end). If you start at the other end you'll find the buses will take the new road and get stuck until it gets completed. This burned me a few weeks ago as I ran out of money in building a road ended up tearing up the start of the road so I could get the stuck buses out. This was when zones could span across roads, not sure how it would work now but something to keep in mind.

[A-Train]

Into Day 6 (Day 4 of flight ops) and we have laid out plans for the full build of the airport. 1 XL and 15 L gates with the option for 2-4 more. 4 runways (2 W-E, 2 N-S) are in the works, as is expanding the terminal west to allow more space for Security and room for the connection between what would be Terminals A & B.

A little more cash and I will lay the foundation for offices (Between Baggage Claim and Gate 1). I have researched the CFO, so once I get them in a office I will research Pricing, and then increase income.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931728008

[A-Train]

Originally posted by john:

Nicely detailed. I do much the same as you in using the planning tool. I would like to see the grass color suppressed as it makes some of the colors more difficult to see and we need more colors!

I would recommend hiring the CFO first so you can research pricing. Than you can increase your fees to max out your income. In my current game I'm on day 26 with all the research the CFO can do completed. It will be a little while before I hire the COO as I'm slowly expanding my ticketing and security areas.

When building roads make sure you start from the bottom (exit end). If you start at the other end you'll find the buses will take the new road and get stuck until it gets completed. This burned me a few weeks ago as I ran out of money in building a road ended up tearing up the start of the road so I could get the stuck buses out. This was when zones could span across roads, not sure how it would work now but something to keep in mind.

Thanks. This is my 11th airport... And I was typing at the same time you were. CFO already researched. :-)

Was really doing this to help new folks.

[A-Train]

Day 11 and you can see we have methodically expanded Ticketing and Security to increase Pax throughput. 3-4 more days and we should have enough cash to have options: Add a 2nd gate, or expand the area for Gate 1 and bring in larger aircraft. I'm leaning toward option 1. More planes = more money quicker. Larger aircraft can carry many more Pax, but they take more time on the gate. So there's a trade-off.

Of course we'll need to add an ATC tower as well, so that's an additional expense to account for.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931750925

[A-Train]

So what are our options? Let's examine expanding the terminal for Gate 1 to receive larger aircraft.

Option #1: Enlarge Gate 1 for bigger aircraft.

For $61K we can add on the foundation indicated. Then just move existing objects for seating, etc., and enlarge the que lines in the yellow areas. I think this, plus a couple of more Gate Agent Desks, and I would be comfortable handling up to 777s.

Then the restrooms become an issue. So the next step would be to push out the front of the terminal to expand the restrooms.

I would also want to push out the walls a couple of tiles around baggage claim. I prefer 2 tiles around a Baggage Carousel for space (appearance). With the number of Pax from the XL aircraft... We'll need some extra space. And potties... :-)

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931757339

Option #2: Add a second gate.

The Foundation cost will be $162,500. So it would take a 3-4 days to save up the cash for this addition. You have the Large Gate ($28K), Large Sliding Door ($2500), at least 3 Gate Agent Desks ($1500 each), plus additional Benches, Food Vending, Flight Info Boards, and que lines (at least they're free!). Oh, yeah, AND we would have to build an ATC Tower to have more than 10 flights ($30,000 + $50 hourly).

This is the more expensive option, and we would have to expand the restrooms and Bag Claim to support it.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931763766

So there's the options. Which do we do? Go for bigger planes and hope our facilities aren't overwhelmed in the short run, and hope for good Pax counts so we can make more money, or take time to save up and add gate #2... Hmmm.

[A-Train]

The smallness of the Baggage Claim area was really bugging me. I threw a little cash at that and you can see the difference with the space people have now, plus additional seating and Food Vending. And the room is all green and blue on the Environmental and Info Heat Maps.

I think now this can handle the Pax from a larger aircraft, and then it will be expanded again...

Someone get that kid out from the middle of the carousel! :-)

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931768837

[A-Train]

We are up to Day 19 now, and I went with Option #1 - enlarging Gate 1 to handle larger aircraft.

I increased the gate area, relocated objects while trying to add seating, made the que lines bigger, and hired on three more Gate Agents, for a total of 7.

On the schedule I dumped four smaller flights to add on three bigger ones (8 total now). There is an A350 (360 Pax) first thing in the morning, another at noon, and a 787 (300 Pax) last at night. The seven gate desks are able to board 300 Pax within the 2:45 window with 15 minutes to spare, so I am confident they can handle a full aircraft in the scheduled time.

(Learned you can extend the Departure Time past midnight. Maybe I was late to the party on that one...)

Note I made a couple of other major changes. I enlarged the restrooms in the Secure area by lengthening them but making them narrower. This opened up the corridor for arriving Pax to 4 tiles - thus the crush of pixellated humanity will flow freer directly toward the exit.

This is something to keep in mind when designing your terminals - Arriving Pax will take the most direct route to the Exit/Baggage Claim. Two tiles is a good width to handle them, but allow for four if you want to put Objects along the way (off to the side). You don't want to hinder the stampede! I'm a fan of nice, wide corridors and lots of open space.

I also moved the front wall of the terminal out a couple of tiles to accommodate small restrooms across from Baggage Claim, and added a small seating area between the (now) two sets of Large Sliding Doors. We're seeing upwards of 600 Pax in the terminal at once now. But have the facilities to handle them, if not just a little cramped.

But our max profit estimate has risen to $65K, with $52K in actual profit for the day.

Next up will be adding a second gate, but I think we will need another expansion of the front end first - at least adding one more, if not two, Ticketing Desks and will have to monitor the flow through Security.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931791611

[A-Train]

In anticipation for adding Gate 2, I've done the "heavy" work up front to make sure we can smoothly handle the additional Pax without causing delays. I expanded the Ticketing/Security foundation, but for now added just enough space for an additional Ticket Desk and security line.

You can see the planning for 2 more Ticketing Desks and 3 more Security lines is laid in, including que lines, and I will re-position the entry door to center it on the middle desks.

Once I add the second gate and start increasing the flight schedule, I'll monitor the lines and Pax throughput carefully to see if I need to go ahead with the planned expansion, or if it can wait until a third gate comes into play.

Basically at this point increasing Ticketing and Security becomes a "Lather, Rinse, Repeat" process of adding capacity as needed. I have LOTS of room to go south on the map. Eventually Security will open directly onto the concourse between the two terminals.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931977963

[A-Train]

Something I wanted to share with the newer folks... You have to build a fence to secure the airfield. Make sure you add Outdoor Gates to each side of the terminal building. This will give your Workers and Janitors access, and speed construction times (they won't have to walk as far).

Gates highlighted in cyan along the fence line.

Also, later down the road (when you're building roads...), you can build Outdoor Gates across a road to give trucks access to your Deliveries and Garbage Zones. Adds a nice realistic appearance.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=931989334

[A-Train]

I feel like now we have hit "Critical Mass" with this airport. With a second gate open and 15 flights daily (6 "big" birds on Gate 1 [2 B787s and 4 A350s]) and 9 smaller planes (B737, A320, B707) coming into Gate 2, our projected daily profit is $167K (I raised runway use to $600 and terminal fees to $25 - I think this is a safe amount, as my airlines are above 85%) and for Day 27 we made $151K - a VERY healthy profit margin showing flights are about 90% full! (Note I also built an ATC Tower and replaced the Small Hangar with a Medium Hangar and have 3 Baggage Carts running now.)

So where do we go from here?

There are lots of options. And with this level of cash flow (that will only increase with more gates/flights) building will come fast and furious.

Adding a third gate is visible on the horizon. Though a second runway may have to be built soon after. Then again we've planned for that!

Expansion in Ticketing, Security, and Baggage Claim is all planned for as well.

The only challenge is this: Do we put Gate 3 next to gate 2, or move Gate 2 across so Even gates are on one side and odd-number gates on the other? That would require a lot of taxiway construction but with the money coming it should be doable in a couple of days.

That said, and though it would be kinda neat, I would probably stick with more conventional construction and put 3 next to 2 and expand linearly. Would cost a lot less.

A concern is this: There are only 18 tiles between the (north and south) gate walls. That's going to be a bit of a squeeze for one side or the other - if you want to fly B767s out of a gate. If that's the case, then I would have more que lines for, say, Gate 2, and the gate across from it would probably just handle B737s and smaller aircraft, perhaps even just E195s. That way the terminal isn't overcrowded.

There is still plenty of room to expand west (left) and push Ticketing, Security, and Baggage Claim, along with the Offices, out that way for more space at Gate 1, if you just NEED to get that A380 or B747 in there. Eventually I would add a loop road to serve the terminal, running from south to north (because in the US we exit vehicles on the right side - so this would put them against the curb). Also this plan would flip the Dropoff and Pickup Zones so they are where they should be. It works great, but roads aren't cheap.

I'm hoping this thread may have helped with your Thought Process when it comes to planning a new airport. That was the intention at the start, and hopefully in showing the ideas in practice you have learned something new, or just a different way of looking at how you play the game.

Thanks for taking the time to read through, and comments/thoughts/constructive criticism are welcome below!

Off we go... into the wild blue yonder...
- A-Train

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=932038976

[A-Train]

Any new folks have questions feel free to ask... :-)

[Crai-Crai]

I'm going to try a design similar to this, but I'd like to flip it top to bottom (north/south), because Pickups are below Dropoffs, and I don't want passengers flowing through Security to get to the Pickups area. You have a straight line out for Arrivals, but have the pax been taking that route? Do you ever have problems with them going through Security to take the shortest route to Pickups?