Traffic Rights #

A critical aspect of the game is that airlines are national, not global, entities. Air traffic agreements between individual countries regulate the transport of passengers in the real world and AirlineSim represents this, albeit in a slightly simplified manner.

What are Traffic Rights? #

By Traffic Rights we mean the rules that determine whether you can fly passengers between two destinations. Your rights to serve a particular market are determined by the country in which your holding’s home base is located. For subsidiaries, the rights are usually based on the location of the holding as well (or the combined amount of shares held if your airline is a listed enterprise).

Example
If your holding is based in Manila, the daughter enterprises will inherit its right to fly domestically between any airport pair in the Philippines, but will not be allowed to fly domestically in China.

Hold on - I can add Chinese flights just fine! #

Even with your holding based in the Philippines, there is nothing physically stopping our hypothetical airline from scheduling domestic flights in China; you may want the aircraft to depart from another airport on its return journey, for example. However, any flights scheduled in such a way will not receive passenger bookings.

Well, where can I fly? #

A good question - the answers will vary depending on where your holding is located. The following rules are universal and apply to holdings based in all countries:

• Any airline may transport passengers domestically (that is, between two points in the same country) in the country in which its holding is based.

• Any airline may transport passengers internationally between any point in its home country (the country where its holding is based) and any point in a second country.

• Any airline may transport passengers internationally between any point in one country and any point in another if the trip involves a stop (a take-off and a landing, at least) in the country in which its holding is based.

In addition to these universal rules, there are a couple of special cases:

• European Union: Any airline whose holding is based in the European Union may transport passengers between any two points within the European Union by whatever routing desired; in other words, the European Union’s domestic market functions as one large, virtual country. Important: This rule does not apply to flights which either begin or end outside the European Union - any such flights must either begin or end in the country in which the airline’s holding is based.

• Australia and New Zealand: Similarly, any airline whose holding is based in either Australia or New Zealand may transport passengers between any two points within both Australia and New Zealand; however, again, this rule does not apply to flights which either begin or end outside Australia and New Zealand.

• Yamoussoukro Decision: Any airline whose holding is based in a country party to the Yamoussoukro Decision may transport passengers between a second and a third country if - and only if - the flight in question is a continuation of a flight from the holding’s country of origin, using the game’s via function.

EU Treaty & Oceanic Open Skies #

Yamoussoukro Decision & Caricom 5th Freedom #

What about cargo flights? #

The global cargo market operates on a completely liberalized basis, reflecting its somewhat more challenging nature. Airlines may transport cargo between any two points in the world, regardless of where their holding is based (unless there are political restrictions).

What if I outgrow my domestic market? #

There are several countries throughout the world which allow foreign investment; the previously stated rules apply to these countries as they do to any other, but unlike countries which don’t allow foreign investment, foreign holdings may - through the establishment of an enterprise based in the investment-open country - operate airlines in them, enjoying all the rights granted to domestic holdings.

Info
Whether or not a country accepts foreign investments depends on the game world. You can check by navigating to the Database tab, choosing Countries and seeing what it says under Unrestricted Market Access on the country’s information page.

Here is an overview of the different lists that are employed throughout the game. New game worlds are currently using list C.

*does not apply to holding enterprises based in Israel

Forbidden Routes #

There are certain country pairs which, for political reasons, don’t permit travel between each other. Flights within the same city are prohibited in the game as well. You can find a list of all restrictions by selecting Forbidden Routes in the Database tab.

As with domestic flights in foreign countries, there is nothing stopping the player from scheduling flights between these airport pairs, but the aircraft themselves will fly empty.

Info
On our game world Devau, restrictions between airports do not apply as the game world employs a special configuration without ground networks.