International and domestic airport

I'm thinking whether it's a good idea to have a difference between international airports and airports only serves domestic flights. I don't think all the airports in the world have customs service, but now in AS, it seems that you can have international flights to any airports. I know it might change the game a lot if this difference applies. So, it's just an idea.

If you can build a terminal there then you can also build customs desks. In schengen you do not even need passport controls.

To be honest ... we are already collecting these informations ;)

To be honest ... we are already collecting these informations ;)

Probably should start a whole new topic for this but after recently flying MCO-EWR-LHR with united airlines, some of the transfer times could use updating with dependance again on domestic/international flights. In reverse (LHR-EWR-MCO) the connection time at EWR was probably 90 minutes (with immigration, customs and bag drop) but on the way back (MCO-EWR-LHR) the connection time was considerably less (Maybe 10 minutes tops, allowing for taxi, deplane and walk to departure gate).

Ehm - greetings from monty python? And now to something completely different ... :P

To be honest ... we are already collecting these informations ;)

As mentioned by CBE, customs facilities can be built, even if an airline requests them and pays for them.

e.g. JetBlue at Long Beach.

Reducing customs ability of airports would negatively affect the game... you would basically be able to run just the trunk routes as they are being run at the moment in real life. That would reduce connection possibilities and would become very boring. AS is based on connections, and connecting even remote airports of 3rd countries is important in AS. Remove that, and you are basically left with a replica of real life, where most of the routes currently being served in AS would not be possible.

Now, an option where customs facility is paid for by the airline that wants to fly to that airport (as an extension of terminal option or a new feature) could be considered and might be quite feasible. Airlines could then rent customs facility to other airlines.

To be honest ... we are already collecting these informations ;)

Oh no... Don't do this...

I agree with what rubiohiguey says, additionally, if international and domestic airports are distinguished, then a lot of the small airport would never be served by any airlines anymore, as long as they are located in a small county that has no home-based airlines. We know that there are already so many small countries on a server that never had any home airlines at all (because it’s impossible to make a profit by setting up an airline there on airlinesim)

Currently it is difficult to start in some countries as there is no limitation and large airlines from countries nearby pull the passenger from each airport of the country. Having this separation between domestic and international airports it could be a chance for new airlines as well. I don't think this would be part of a existing game world, but why not having a new game world trying this. And ... last but not least - to have the demand to be near the reality, this should be a must-have-feature ;)

Well I don’t think it will work and I hope I won’t be the one who will say “I told you so”. The whole concept of “you can start your airline anywhere even on a 6 bar airport with good wave planning” would be rendered unworkable. You will have concentration of most players on just a few international airports which will exacerbate slot congestion more than any Let usage ever would. The only thing I can say, I would not be playing in such a game world myself.

Reducing customs ability of airports would negatively affect the game... you would basically be able to run just the trunk routes as they are being run at the moment in real life. That would reduce connection possibilities and would become very boring. AS is based on connections, and connecting even remote airports of 3rd countries is important in AS. Remove that, and you are basically left with a replica of real life, where most of the routes currently being served in AS would not be possible.

The whole concept of "you can start your airline anywhere even on a 6 bar airport with good wave planning" would be rendered unworkable. You will have concentration of most players on just a few international airports which will exacerbate slot congestion more than any Let usage ever would.

I think you are way too pessimistic about this. The way I see it, the vast majority of 6+ bar airports have customs facilities, and even most 5 and 4 bar airports do. Most airlines in AS wouldn't even notice the change. It really only makes a difference where domestic commuter traffic from 1-3 bar airports is routed via another country, and in my opinion it makes a lot of sense to limit that.

Well, each one has his opinions. My opinion is that it will affect AS substantially. Lets say Paraguay. That country would be unplayable as the only way to play in Paraguay 8s to filter out Brazil traffic to south west and west Latin America. With the few exceptions of the countries hubs, most airport in the area do not have customs facilities. Or take Panamá which is dependent on servicing most of secondary airports in pretty much every country in the Americas (servicing just primary hubs is not viable and sufficient to operate profitably).

We will see once any such game world is launched in the future. Until then, it is just a speculation. And then, each one is at full liberty to decide in which game world to play; myself I wouldn’t be playing in any such game world.

Well, each one has his opinions. My opinion is that it will affect AS substantially. Lets say Paraguay. That country would be unplayable as the only way to play in Paraguay 8s to filter out Brazil traffic to south west and west Latin America. With the few exceptions of the countries hubs, most airport in the area do not have customs facilities. Or take Panamá which is dependent on servicing most of secondary airports in pretty much every country in the Americas (servicing just primary hubs is not viable and sufficient to operate profitably).

We will see once any such game world is launched in the future. Until then, it is just a speculation. And then, each one is at full liberty to decide in which game world to play; myself I wouldn’t be playing in any such game world.

I do agree. Also if an airline needs a customs facility the airport builds it (as it enlarges comerc in the area), or in the worst case the airline needs to pay for it, or there even is a mobile customs and security facility in a bus.

The reason i bring up this topic is because i believe that some of the connections in AS right now is unrealistic. Just like what i said at the beginning, it would change the game a lot. Some of the companies in AS now is monopoly not only in one country but also in the whole regions because we don't have a limitation on what kind of connections we can have. Maybe the new difference between airports can change it. Also, the slots problem might be fixed because you won't have that many international connection flights any more. Of course, you can still have customs services in every small airport you serve, but you would face more pressure when there is a domestic carrier. 

I don’t think a game needs to go too far on the scale of reality, if fun factor is being compromised. I think it’s worth the shot to give a new game world a try, but my concern is always this: Unless you are in big domestic markets such as U.S, China etc, every other country in the real world has only one dominant airline, resulting in local monopoly at the hub airport (see DOH IST ADD FRA SIN HKG … ) However, it is much less fun for a game if there is no direct competition - imagine a game world with 100 countries, each hub airport is dominated by one company satisfying all domestic needs… Could be really boring after a while.

I think you are way too pessimistic about this. The way I see it, the vast majority of 6+ bar airports have customs facilities, and even most 5 and 4 bar airports do. Most airlines in AS wouldn't even notice the change. It really only makes a difference where domestic commuter traffic from 1-3 bar airports is routed via another country, and in my opinion it makes a lot of sense to limit that.

Very true. I like to base my airlines in some 4-bar and 3-bar airports, and counting on serving foreign 1-bar airports to feed my network. The change would render this tactic completely wasted.

What is worse, the domestic markets I have are so small that sometimes 1 daily DH1 or even LET could satisfy all the demand. They grow to saturation point so fast if I small foreign airports cannot be served.

As mentioned by CBE, customs facilities can be built, even if an airline requests them and pays for them.

e.g. JetBlue at Long Beach.

Reducing customs ability of airports would negatively affect the game... you would basically be able to run just the trunk routes as they are being run at the moment in real life. That would reduce connection possibilities and would become very boring. AS is based on connections, and connecting even remote airports of 3rd countries is important in AS. Remove that, and you are basically left with a replica of real life, where most of the routes currently being served in AS would not be possible.

Now, an option where customs facility is paid for by the airline that wants to fly to that airport (as an extension of terminal option or a new feature) could be considered and might be quite feasible. Airlines could then rent customs facility to other airlines.

Traffic rights should not be limited since in Africa more than 50% countries do not have an domestic airlines. The limitation will limit the customers from travelling since there is impossible for domestic travel without a native airlines.

If customer fees need to be paid, we need to consider the possibility to use the border preclearance option. For instance, I fly to a number of Thai domestic airports 3 times a week each from ICN. I need to build a Thai customer in ICN and hire 2-3 staffs to serve all Thai flights rather than hire 2-3 staff for every airports in Thailand.