Airplane Tycoon: First Class

About

You run an airline in this management sim where profit and prestige are the main goals. Upgrade planes, hire staff, plan routes, and balance budgets while competing against three rival tycoons. Play as yourself or sabotage opponents to gain an edge. New features in this version include cargo shipping, multiplayer co-op and versus modes, and expanded missions. Manage fuel reserves, negotiate loans, and even grab coffee at a mid-game café to reset your strategy. The game stands out for its depth without overwhelming complexity. Players appreciate the mix of long-term planning and quick decisions like sudden route changes or last-minute plane purchases from a museum vendor. Launched in 1999 with English localization for Western markets, it dropped the "First Class" branding but kept the core improvements. A steady 78% user rating on strategy forums highlights its replayability and learning curve.

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.