Cargo planes' route restrictions

Why there is no route restrictions on cargo planes?

PC-12 cargo or Cessna Cargo or ATR42 Cargo can operate between any 10-bar airports.

Won't this cause slot blocking?

No as cargo planes are not restricted like passenger planes are.

Because that's the way it is in the real world :)

Cargo airlines are not restricted, not subjected to the 5 freedoms the way passengers airlines are... :) 

Regarding the slot, of course you can use more slots by using small airplanes and scheduling a lot of flights then, but its not specific to cargo aircraft; a lot of players use this technic to get a lot of slots when a new game is started.. ( which is completely stupid in my opinion, this ruins the game for us players who wants to play fair and regular ; )

In addition to my previous post:

if you have the feeling that someone is flying cargo without the purpose of making profit with cargo (and if you suppose that this company is blocking slots for example for his passenger company you should report the company to the support team and they will look into it).

Sorry for the confusion.......

I did not mean the flight rights of cargo flights.

I meant the route restrictions for each plane type.

For example, you can operate as many as ATF cargo flights between LHR and CDG or between HKG and CAN. However, you cannot even operate any AT5 passenger flights between JFK and BDL.

I thought AS started to use route restrictions to prevent slot blocking. However, it seems that it is way easier to use cargo planes to do that :( . It also costs less since you don't need to install seats...

I thought AS started to use route restrictions to prevent slot blocking. However, it seems that it is way easier to use cargo planes to do that :( . It also costs less since you don't need to install seats...

Route restrictions to prevent slot blocking started with passenger planes. Cargo planes are excluded and can still fly 10 bar to 10 bar airports.

You don't need to install seats and hence cargo planes are cheaper but it is harder to earn money with it.

And again the hint: if you find a company which is supposed to block slots with the smalles cargo planes on huge airports, please feel free to report that company.

Won't this cause slot blocking?

Of course it does. But with cargo it's obviously allowed.

(I know that might provoke a few, but that's how it is)

Route restrictions should be extended to cargo sector as well. I know airlines using Cessna or other smaller planes between MEM,IND,SDF and CVG just to prevent their competitors from utilizing those slots. 1 airline has blocked ALL slots in MEM in Ellinikon and he is doing the same in other 3 airports.

Problems arise when they do the same in HKG, PVG, DXB and SIN. Due to slot blocking by cargo airlines it becomes nearly impossible to fly to these airports.

Report the companies in question please.

It was a very split argument for cargo aircraft to be included or not in the slot restrictions. The decision was made that cargo aircraft are not subject to HARD CODED slot restrictions. That DOES NOT mean that running 1000 ATF flights between a city pair is ok, it just means the system won’t prevent it. Therefore you can still be found to be slot blocking with cargo aircraft even though the system allows it. If you believe someone is slot blocking (please read the rules in regards to this) then it should be reported via support@ and the in game reporting mechanism

Based on what shall I report a company? The rule which is completely interpretable? It's not allowed to run 1000 ATF-flights but it's okay to run, say, 560? Or 8 ATF-flights a day between CDG and LHR? That's ridiculous and it's also not fair to report someone based on something that is allowed.

Cargo aircrafts block slots exactly the same way as passenger aircrafts.

And: I'm still waiting for an answer from support since October. So I'm sure Support has plenty of time to look at it.

Sometimes it is quite confusing when it comes to the boundary between

"It is allowed by the AS system, so it is not unfair."

and

"It is allowed by the AS system, but it has violated the rules."

BTW, the link to IRC support chat is no longer working.

Report the companies in question please.

I do not find any airline doing that.

I just want to raise my concerns with the possible violations for general discussion here..

Colleague uzkt01 was meant to report the companies in question.

Would it not be possible to apply the same rules to cargo flights as those that are applied to passenger flights?

Instead of using the market bars for Passengers just use the ones for Cargo and apply to the relevant aircraft types. This would prevent a great deal of the slot exploitation. In the real world it is highly unlikely that you would find an ATR or similar operating between LHR-AMS as the handling fees & airport charges would make it ineffective on a financial basis.

Another possibly more difficult to program solution would be to increase the landing fees for cargo aircraft. Most large airports double as shopping centres where passengers spend money boosting the profits of the airport operator. Cargo however does not spend any money!

Either of these would make it more difficult for cargo airlines to slot block, not impossible but more difficult!

Another possibly more difficult to program solution would be to increase the landing fees for cargo aircraft. Most large airports double as shopping centres where passengers spend money boosting the profits of the airport operator. Cargo however does not spend any money!

I have never heard about this, airports usually want cargo airlines as they can use undesirable slots and they increase desire for businesses to be present on airport property. There are a couple airports around the world who prefere passengers, LHR and DXB are the only ones I can think of but both offer other alternatives for cargo airlines.

I have never heard about this, airports usually want cargo airlines as they can use undesirable slots and they increase desire for businesses to be present on airport property. There are a couple airports around the world who prefere passengers, LHR and DXB are the only ones I can think of but both offer other alternatives for cargo airlines.

In order to simulate cargo airlines taking undesirable slots, cargo flights could be made to not take slots at all. This would make cargo flights non-interfering with passenger flights as is in real world.

That would make cargo market totally uncontrollable so no new airline could step in to compete with “super power” cargo airlines that used unlimited cargo slots for infinite expansion

Sometimes it is quite confusing when it comes to the boundary between

"It is allowed by the AS system, so it is not unfair."

and

"It is allowed by the AS system, but it has violated the rules."

BTW, the link to IRC support chat is no longer working.

<span>1.4</span> <span>Hard Coding</span>

Although every effort has been made to hard code rules into the system (ie. It is against the rules, and the game has been coded to make it technically impossible to break), some rules may not be hard coded. Just because the game allows it, does not mean it is not against the rules. Included and additional (non-coded) rules are listed below and both shall be respected.

<span>3.2</span> <span>Resource Blocking</span>

In-game resources such as landing slots, used aircraft etc. are limited, therefore acquiring them for no other reason than to prevent other player(s) from using them is prohibited. This particularly concerns, but is not limited to, blocking of airport slots with dummy aircraft (ie. No crew, no seats), or whereby the aircraft is scheduled in such a way where cancellations will occur.

As with always. If you suspect someone is abusing the system (ie. In YOUR opinion) then report it. Every case is treated individually. If you don't report it, it wont be treated full stop.

@ianmanson

Rule 3.2 as you mentioned clearly allows to fly 50x daily between LHR and AMS with ATF freighters. So based on what shall I report now?

It doesn’t make sense to exclude cargo aircrafts from the slot blocking rule, because it is still a small plane using a slot at a congested airport which could be use for a more useful service.

Some see the problem, some don’t. As everywhere in real life.