What Determins Traffic Level?

[JumboShrimp]

Since this is now a variable, I was wondering what determines the traffic level:
- Number of take offs / landings
- Passenger numbers
- Cargo
- Passengers + Cargo
- Revenue

Also, is there a particular levels that need to be reached for the system to increase / decrease Airport's Traffic Level?

[paddk989]

Quoted from Sami update page

Traffic Level (1 - 10):

◦Traffic level measures how busy the airport is. This is based on the actual operations of player's airlines. Busy airports have higher operation fees and higher probabilities for delays for example

◦This value is directly relative on how much passengers and cargo has been transported from that airport by the players. Fly more passengers => Airport Traffic Level increases.

◦Traffic level affects directly the various operational costs at the airports, including partly to slot costs, as well as to flight delays due to airport congestion/size.

◦Value is calculated from the total number of passengers transported in previous/current year and compared to all other airports. The division into the ten classes is not linear but instead only the highest 1% of all airports in terms of passenger numbers are classified as "level 10", and the next 1.25% at "level 9", next 1.5% at "level 8" and so forth with the most quiet 30% being at "level 1".

◦Traffic class level updates twice a year, January and July. At the start of the new game world it is based on the fixes statistical data of the airport database.

◦This classification may change up to two steps at one time, up or down (i.e. from level 8 to level 6).

[Talentz]

Something else I noticed with the new system.

It pays (literary) to have multiple players or even one very strong rival in your airport. One airline can't move the traffic bar that far up by its self. It requires a team effort to maxiuam the catchment radius of the airport. Otherwise, you miss out on potential demand that could be yours to grab...


Talentz

[JumboShrimp]

Something else I noticed with the new system.

It pays (literary) to have multiple players or even one very strong rival in your airport. One airline can't move the traffic bar that far up by its self. It requires a team effort to maxiuam the catchment radius of the airport. Otherwise, you miss out on potential demand that could be yours to grab...


Talentz

That's why I am wondering, to see it what exactly the system checks.  In description, it says Pax AND Cargo, then later is says only Pax.

[spiff23]

Not sure if this is the right place to post or it needs a new topic, but I was reviewing the manual on city demand as it starts to get introduced.

May be my brain is too hardwired to the real world, but as this model gets going, will there be any modeling of real world restrictions at certain airports?  In the airport to airport model, there are some fanciful routings that can occur that wouldn't happen in RW.  For example, until recently, LGA and I think DCA (specific terms may have been different)...had rules limiting the distance of flights.  LGA specifically had something like a 1000mile radius rule with a few exceptions for routes already in place as props went to jets (like UA's ability to go DEN-LGA)...but never any flights to LAX, SFO, SEA, etc. Additionally, these two airports where both primarily domestic and Canada short-haul and all international and long haul traffic routed through IAD or JFK/EWR.

By same token, slots were so controlled and expensive at LHR, plus the old bilaterals through about 2000 or so...that from the US, the only flights that went to LHR were on 2 airlines (Pan Am / TWA then to United / American)...that the routes were limited to major city pairs like JFK, IAD, ORD, LAX, SFO, SEA.  Originally PA and TW flew one off routes (both had ORD-LHR) even with no hub in ORD.  After UA and AA bought the London rights from each, the routes shifted to their hubs and focus cities.   However, this forced all the other US airlines to go to Gatwick...which is why if you wanted to fly to ATL, MSP, DTW, CIN, CLT, IAH on a US airline you went to Gatwick.  I think by the same token, BA had/has a destination type approach with routes to certain parts of Africa and Carribbean going from Gatwick while major demand routes went from LHR.   

So all this long story to see if any of these types of variables will be added in...or is there truly the opportunity that an airport like DCA can be a super hub in AWS city demand model?

[Sami]

So all this long story to see if any of these types of variables will be added in...or is there truly the opportunity that an airport like DCA can be a super hub in AWS city demand model?

No, since there's no data for them. Technically nothing would prevent adding them now in "old" system already. But practically impossible to source info on all such minor rules and exceptions globally over the course of last 70 years.

Some things, like Haneda in Tokyo being mostly domestic airport are in the current system since they were easy to do. However in the new system there are not those limits either as airports serve merely as gateways for the pax/cargo flows from the cities. (so in that sense a minor drawback)