Airline Tycoon
Manage an airline, balance budgets, and sabotage rivals.
Airline Tycoon is a business simulation game created by Thomas Holz and Robert Kleinert, where players take on the role of an airline manager competing against three rival tycoons. The goal is to achieve the status of an airline tycoon by carefully managing income and expenses. The original game was built by Spellbound Entertainment and first released in Germany by Infogrames Deutschland in 1998, with later editions handled by various publishers.
The player controls one of four characters: Tina Cortez of Sunshine Airways, Siggi Sorglos of Falcon Lines, Igor Tuppolevsky of Phoenix Travel, or Mario Zucchero of Honey Airlines. Gameplay involves keeping aircraft in good condition, satisfying customers through proper equipment, buying planes from either the expensive Airplane Agency or the cheaper museum dealer Mr. Schlauberger, and taking bank loans when needed. Players also manage staff, plan flights, purchase fuel, attend meetings in the airport manager’s office, and can visit Rick’s café for coffee. Sabotaging opponents is an option. The graphics are bright and humorous—for instance, Igor’s desk features Russian dolls and an open tin of caviar, while Tina’s has a matador picture and a bull’s head. Up to four people can play over a network, and games can be saved in both single-player and multiplayer modes.
The original *Airline Tycoon* launched in Germany in August 1998 but was never translated into English for a full release, though an official English demo appeared online and on magazine discs. Outside Germany, it was released in Poland on September 11, 1999. A standalone add-on, *Airline Tycoon First Class*, came out in Germany in 1999, initially only in German. In 2001, *First Class* became the first series entry released in English by Monte Cristo, which dropped the subtitle from the box and manuals (though it remained in the game). This version added ten new missions, four-player multiplayer, new MIDI music, and cargo transportation. In 2002, *Airline Tycoon Evolution* was published by Monte Cristo, introducing ten more missions, the ability to design and share custom aircraft online, hiring of security agents, and five new sabotage options. In 2003, Spellbound released *Airline Tycoon Deluxe*, which bundled all previous content and added twenty new airports plus cargo from remote estates.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Airline Tycoon
- Developer
- Spellbound Entertainment
- Publisher
- Infogrames Deutschland / First Class and Evolution releases / Monte Cristo / Deluxe (Windows) / Spellbound Entertainment / Deluxe (other platforms) / RuneSoft
- Designer
- Armin Gessert
- Released
- Original: August 1998 / First Class: January 22, 2001 / Evolution: September 17, 2002 / Deluxe: October 5, 2003
- Genre
- Business simulation game
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac OS X, MorphOS, Linux, ZETA, iOS, Android
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Airline Tycoon was created by Thomas Holz and Robert Kleinert. The original game was released in August 1998 in Germany by Infogrames Deutschland and was not translated into English, though an official English demo was made available online and on magazine covermounts. Outside Germany, it was released in Poland on September 11, 1999. A standalone add-on, Airline Tycoon First Class, was released in Germany in 1999, initially only in German. In 2001, First Class became the first installment released in English by Monte Cristo; the publisher removed the 'First Class' subtitle from the box and manuals, though it remained in-game. Features added in First Class included ten new missions, multiplayer mode with up to four players, new MIDI music, and cargo transportation. In 2002, Airline Tycoon Evolution was published by Monte Cristo, introducing ten new missions, the ability to buy self-designed aircraft and share them via the Internet, hiring aircraft security agents, and five new sabotages. In 2003, Spellbound Entertainment released Airline Tycoon Deluxe, which included all previous versions and added twenty new airports and the ability to accept cargo from remote estates; it was originally a limited edition of 5000 items available only in Germany. Linux, Mac OS X, and ZETA versions of Deluxe were released in Autumn 2005 and Winter 2006 by RuneSoft, available in English, German, and French. Airline Tycoon Deluxe was re-released on gog.com in March 2015, including the source code under a 'source available' model for non-commercial purposes only. A full sequel, Airline Tycoon 2, was developed by Spellbound and published by Kalypso Media in October 2011, with two DLCs released in 2012.
Reader's Guide
Airline Tycoon is notable as a business simulation that combines airline management with lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek graphics and sabotage mechanics. The game's four tycoons—Tina Cortez, Siggi Sorglos, Igor Tuppolevsky, and Mario Zucchero—each have distinct desk decorations, such as Igor's Russian dolls and caviar, and Tina's matador picture. Gameplay involves keeping aircraft in good shape, buying new planes from the expensive Airplane Agency or from Mr. Schlauberger's museum at lower cost, taking bank loans, managing personnel, planning flights, buying fuel, attending meetings, and visiting Rick's café. Sabotage against other players is possible. The game supports up to four players over a network and allows saving in both single-player and multiplayer modes. Sales surpassed 150,000 units worldwide by 2001. An IGN review gave the original a rating of 7.9/10. The sequel, Airline Tycoon 2, received a Metacritic score of 57/100 from four reviews. The series' legacy includes multiple re-releases and ports to Linux, Mac OS X, MorphOS, ZETA, iOS, and Android for the Deluxe version, as well as the inclusion of source code in the gog.com release.
Did You Know?
- The original Airline Tycoon was not translated into English, but an official English demo was made available.
- Airline Tycoon Deluxe was originally released as a limited edition of 5000 items only in Germany.
- The game's tycoon Igor Tuppolevsky has a set of Russian dolls and an open tin of caviar on his desk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Airline Tycoon?
Airline Tycoon is a business simulation game in which you run an airline and compete against three rival operators. It was developed by Spellbound Entertainment and originally published in Germany in 1998 for Windows.
Who are the four playable tycoons in Airline Tycoon?
You can pilot the business as Tina Cortez (Sunshine Airways), Siggi Sorglos (Falcon Lines), Igor Tuppolevsky (Phoenix Travel), or Mario Zucchero. Each character represents a distinct airline you manage throughout the campaign.
What is the main goal of Airline Tycoon?
Your objective is to rise to the top of the industry by carefully balancing your airline's income against its expenses. Along the way you also have the option to sabotage rival tycoons to gain an edge.
Who created and originally published Airline Tycoon?
The game was designed by Thomas Holz and Robert Kleinert at Spellbound Entertainment. Its first release came through Infogrames Deutschland in 1998, with subsequent editions handed off to other publishers.
What platform was Airline Tycoon originally released on?
The 1998 debut edition was built for the Windows PC. Later re-releases and updated editions were also handled by various publishers, but the original target was the Windows operating system.
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