SkyChart: Airline Executive

THE GOLDEN AGE OF AIRLINES IS YOURS TO BUILD

You are the CEO. Starting with a handful of biplanes and a dream, build a globe-spanning airline from 1930 to 2020. Open routes, buy and lease aircraft, invest in airports, hire executives, and crush your rivals — all while history unfolds around you.

SkyChart: Airline Executive is a deep management simulation inspired by the classic Aerobiz series, rebuilt from the ground up with modern design, a retro-neon aesthetic, and systems deep enough to lose a weekend in.

FOUR ERAS OF AVIATION

Play through four distinct chapters of airline history, each with unique aircraft, economics, and challenges:

• Dawn of Flight (1930–1950) — Biplanes, flying boats, and the shadow of World War II. Connect the continents before the world tears itself apart.

• The Jet Age (1955–1975) — The 707 rewrites everything. Dominate the transatlantic corridor and race your rivals across the globe.

• The Modern Era (1980–2000) — Deregulation, oil crises, and cutthroat competition. Only the efficient survive.

• Supersonic Future (2000–2020) — Ultra-long-haul routes, mega-hubs, and the A380 age. Build an empire that spans every continent — then survive COVID.

Each era must be conquered before the next unlocks. Prove you can survive the prop age before you earn the jets.

150 REAL-WORLD CITIES

From New York to Nairobi, Tokyo to Timbuktu — 150 cities across 8 world regions with real airport locations, population-driven demand, and regional diplomacy that gates your expansion. Invest in hotels, theme parks, and infrastructure to boost demand. Upgrade airport hubs to dominate entire regions.

33 HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT

Fly the planes that made history. The DC-3, 707, 747, A380, 787, and more — each with historically accurate stats, retirement dates, and operating costs. Aircraft age realistically: old planes cost more to run, draw fewer passengers, and depreciate on a real curve.

BUY, LEASE, OR SCRAP

Every aircraft decision matters. Buy planes outright and build equity, or lease them to preserve cash with flexible 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year terms. Store surplus aircraft in your hangar for reuse. Refurbish aging fleets to extend their service life. Sell at depreciated market value when it's time to move on. Your rivals make these same calculations.

OUTSMART YOUR RIVALS

Up to 35 AI-controlled airlines compete for the same routes, slots, and passengers. They price dynamically, expand into your territory, upgrade their fleets, and invest in hubs. Once per era, you can buy out a rival entirely — absorbing their routes, slots, and infrastructure in one stroke.

HISTORY HAPPENS

60+ historical events reshape the playing field. The Great Depression tanks demand. WWII closes entire regions. The 1973 oil crisis doubles fuel prices overnight. 9/11 grounds the industry. COVID-19 kills 93% of passenger demand (but cargo barely flinches). Earthquakes destroy airports. You adapt or you fold.

DEEP ECONOMICS

Every route's profit is calculated monthly from population, regional economics, seasonal demand, your reputation, competitor pricing, hub bonuses, diplomatic relations, fuel costs, aircraft condition, and executive team bonuses. The Strategic Advisor scans all 11,175 possible city pairs to find your best opportunities. Quarterly reports track every dollar.

THREE GAME MODES

• Passengers — Fill seats. Maximize yield per passenger. The classic airline business.

• Cargo — Move freight. Win on price and reliability. Cargo barely flinches during pandemics.

• Combined — Passengers in the cabin, freight in the belly. Two revenue streams, one fleet.

Each mode unlocks after mastering the previous one.

FIVE DIFFICULTY LEVELS

From Glider (generous capital, slow rivals) to Supersonic (lean budget, aggressive AI, punishing interest rates). Five finely tuned tiers so new players can learn the ropes and veterans can suffer.

SANDBOX MODE

Completed your first era? Unlock Sandbox. No bankruptcy. No era limits. No time pressure. Pick a starting decade and build forever.

YOUR COCKPIT

• Strategic Advisor — AI-powered route recommendations, hub analysis, worst-route alerts

• Route Manager — Sort, filter, suspend, sell, or upgrade any route. Handles 2,000+ routes smoothly

• Fleet Overview — Active fleet, hangar inventory, and lease management in one panel

• City Intelligence — Per-city demand, slot availability, investment ROI, competitor presence

• Competitive Intel — Track rival expansion and retreat across every region

• Quarterly Reports — Revenue, costs, market share, and 8-quarter trend charts

• Diplomacy Panel — Improve regional relations through donations and executive hires

• Strategy Planner — Queue up your next moves with budget tracking and one-click execution

• 90+ Achievements — Milestones across operations, finance, technology, history, and diplomacy

A MAP WORTH STARING AT

A Mercator projection world map with great-circle flight paths, animated aircraft, weather radar, a day/night terminator, and demand heatmaps. Three visual styles: Retro Dark (neon-on-black default), Satellite (real-world imagery), and Clean Vector. Zoom into any region for OpenStreetMap-style high-detail tiles. Routes auto-fade as your network grows, so even 1,200+ routes stay readable.

ERA SOUNDTRACK

44 tracks spanning the 1930s through the 2020s shift dynamically as you advance through the decades. Crossfading transitions, achievement fanfares, and a built-in music player with support for local files and Spotify integration.

PLAY YOUR WAY

• Full keyboard & mouse with hotkeys for every panel

• Full controller support — Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, Steam Deck with automatic glyph detection

• Radial menu — Hold LB + right stick to instantly open any panel

• Virtual cursor — Right stick for city selection on the world map

• Draggable windows — Every panel is movable, resizable, and remembers its position

• Graphical Controls Guide — Keycap and button widgets for every input method

• Scales to any resolution from 1280x720 and up

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

• 4 historical eras (1930–2020) with progression unlocks

• 150 real-world cities across 8 regions

• 33 historically accurate aircraft

• 3 game modes (Passengers, Cargo, Combined)

• 5 difficulty levels

• Sandbox mode with no limits

• 60+ historical events and natural disasters

• Up to 35 AI rival airlines with dynamic behavior

• Rival acquisition system (1 buyout per era)

• Aircraft leasing, hangars, refurbishment, and depreciation

• Airport slots, hubs, and ground investments

• Diplomacy and regional relations

• Executive hiring with passive bonuses

• Maintenance, safety, and reputation management

• PR campaigns and customer service tiers

• Strategic Advisor scanning 11,175 city pairs

• Route performance analytics and quarterly reports

• 90+ achievements

• Full save system (5 slots + autosave)

• Steam Cloud save sync

• Era-aware dynamic soundtrack (44 tracks)

• Built-in music player with Spotify integration

• Full keyboard, mouse, and controller support

• Steam Input API with automatic glyph detection

• Steam Deck verified-ready

• Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux