Impossible to run profitable airline if you start late in a game?

[SulphurTX]

I think it's almost impossible to start an airline if it's some years later in a game. I now just started a company in Amsterdam, but there are 3 other companies based there. I know it's crowded, but in real life it must be possible. But when I check possible routes they are all crowded by the companies. Passenger demand is about 200 pax per day, but there is a capacity of 800-1000 pax per day. Very unrealistic. And for me impossible to put a big A300 on this route and making some profit. Because all other aircrafts are not available in the second hand market. So is this game so unrealistic or do I do something wrong?

Let's say... You are a new airline company in real life nowadays... Then you don't have to buy an 22-year old 727 to fly your first routes, is it? You can lease an A320 at least... This is almost impossible in Airwaysim because airplanes are old or too expensive for a starting company. I would suggest to work together with the bigger companies in the game and lease there newer airplanes for NORMAL prices. Good idea? 

[Sami]

A quick look at your airline and a few small comments:

- you have only a single aircraft in your fleet. This is not enough to cover all the fixed base costs for running the operations. 3+ planes makes it easier.

- your route image on the two routes is still low, less than 40 pts, so it is WAY too early to determine if the routes are worth flying or not. The Lyon route however is probably a bad choice for A300... Simply too big for such a regional route.

- The game year is 1983. There is not a single A320 series aircraft in existance even yet ......

- 727, or BAC 1-11 (if you want a smaller jet), or perhaps a HS121 are not bad choices at all for this era. And there are HEAPS of DC-9 series available too which is a moneymaker (youngest are ~3yrs old in the used market!). Anything with valid C/D checks, condition over 80% and age less than 15 years is a very valid metal still.

[SulphurTX]

Thanks for looking into my company, Sami. I will bankrupt it and try again with your allocations in mind. But what about the crowded routes? How to offer some competition for the other companies?

[schro]

Thanks for looking into my company, Sami. I will bankrupt it and try again with your allocations in mind. But what about the crowded routes? How to offer some competition for the other companies?

When you're brand new, you'll want to AVOID competition as much as possible so you can get a profitable base of flying going to fund your expansion.  Once there's no other options without competition (and no other unmet demand at the base), that's when you start working on competing against the others in your base.  If you head straight in to compete with the incumbants, you will be squashed like a bug.

Also, for DOTM era games, those joining later in the game often have an advantage of having more economial aircraft available to them without having to reschedule the few hundred planes they already have.  For example, if you had a few hundred 727s, its a bit more of a pain to transition to something that takes less fuel and crew, but if you're new, you can go straight for the newer plane type that wasn't available at the beginning of the game world. If you fly more efficient planes than your competition, it makes it easier to compete with them and still profit.

[SulphurTX]

I now started a new company, Pyramid Airways in Cairo, and there is only one company active in that city. It will work out fine to offer some competition and to offer better prices and more possibilities to your customers, I think. We'll see.

PS I now see JetCity is one of the biggest companies in the world... Maybe we can work together...

[chiveicrook]

I wouldn't count on cooperation ;-)
I'm not in current DoTM but remembering the last one (started around similar date) there should still be a lot of places in China for example to run decently sized airline, don't be afraid of smaller airports there, still a lot of demand to cover (in last game I opened a 3rd base in Harbin which easily had enough demand for a 100 BA-11s, even though it's comparatively small airport). Not much international traffic though....

[LostInBKK]

I wouldn't count on cooperation ;-)
I'm not in current DoTM but remembering the last one (started around similar date) there should still be a lot of places in China for example to run decently sized airline, don't be afraid of smaller airports there, still a lot of demand to cover (in last game I opened a 3rd base in Harbin which easily had enough demand for a 100 BA-11s, even though it's comparatively small airport). Not much international traffic though....

WOW now that is some great info thanks 
Cheers
Lost

[SulphurTX]

I restarted my company and the CEO of JetCity is a helping hand in my airline....