Aircraft & Routes · Take to the air
A route needs an unlocked destination, a ready aircraft, standby Pilots, fuel, and a risk level you are willing to accept.
Research the listed technology and discover any required destination or faction. A locked route names the missing prerequisite.
Airstrips, hangars, and later fleet structures raise aircraft capacity. Scrap or group-manage older aircraft only when they no longer serve a useful route.
Assign enough crew to the Pilot role for the aircraft’s crew requirement. Pilots already airborne are not available to another route.
Confirm the route’s fuel cost will not erase your safety buffer. Read live risk after weather, reliability, crew rank, and upgrades are applied.
Assign the aircraft, then watch its timer or Upcoming Events. Rewards and objective credit arrive at landing.
Speed shortens a trip, capacity increases scaled payouts, reliability lowers risk, and crew requirement determines how much of your roster the route occupies. A newer aircraft is not automatically best when a small, reliable airframe can turn a short route more efficiently.
| Your goal | Favor | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Fast objective completion | Speed | Fuel burn and whether the payout matters. |
| Large cargo or reputation payout | Capacity | Crew demand and route risk. |
| Expensive or dangerous route | Reliability and experienced Pilots | Weather, condition, and risk-reduction upgrades. |
| Training or early flight hours | Low-cost aircraft | Do not consume crew needed to stabilize the field. |
Risk is calculated from the route, aircraft reliability, crew experience, research, buildings, specializations, doctrines, season, and current weather. The number shown in the game is the one to trust.
Tailwinds and clear windows can create good launch opportunities; fog and thunderstorms can make marginal flights unattractive. No route is perfectly safe, so compare the possible loss with the value of the payout.
Scout expeditions reveal partners. Each offer has explicit inputs and outputs; trade to clear a named technology, building, or craft rather than draining useful stock just because an offer is available. Reputation is spendable influence, not only a score.