Airline Tycoon Deluxe

About

Run your own airline in this real-time strategy sim where profit margins are razor-thin and rivals are ruthless. You’ll juggle plane maintenance, route planning, and budgeting while fending off sabotage from three competing tycoons. Buy new aircraft, negotiate loans, and keep passengers happy with on-time flights. The deluxe edition adds 20 airports and expanded options for customization and competition. What sets it apart is the blend of dry humor and financial depth. Cartoonish rivalries and cheeky dialogue contrast with sharp resource management mechanics that demand long-term planning. Players appreciate the balance between micro and macro strategy, with over 15 years of community guides and mods keeping the game fresh. The sabotage mechanics add a chaotic edge rare in sim games, making every decision feel high-stakes.

Storyline

Airline Tycoon is a simulation game where the player acts as manager of an airline, competing against three other tycoons. The names of the four tycoons are: Tina Cortez (Sunshine Airways), Siggi Sorglos (Falcon Lines), Igor Tuppolevsky (Phoenix Travel) and Mario Zucchero (Honey Airlines). The player must keep their aircraft in good shape and equip them at such a level as to keep the customers satisfied, buy new planes (from the expensive Airplane Agency or from Mr Schlauberger at the museum who sells old planes at a much lower cost) and take out bank loans if required. The player must also manage their personnel, plan flights, buy fuel, attend meetings in the airport manager's office and, if there is the time, slip into Rick's café for a quick cup of coffee. The player can also perform sabotage on the other players.