Protected HQ Airports for New Players

[Mr. Pete]

Suggestion: Protected HQ Airports for New Players

I would like to suggest a feature that could help attract and retain new players in game worlds that have already been running for several years.

One of the biggest challenges for new players joining an existing world is that the market is often already dominated by large airlines. The most attractive airports are occupied, slots have been purchased, and aircraft production lines are heavily backlogged. As a result, it can be very difficult for a new airline to establish itself and grow competitively.

My proposal is to introduce a system of temporarily protected airports. When an airport opens in the game world, it could be reserved exclusively for new players as a potential HQ location for a limited period, for example 12 in-game months.

During this protection period:

* Only new players could establish their headquarters at that airport.
* Existing airlines would still be able to operate flights there, but could not open own base at the protected airport.
* After the protection period expires, the airport would become fully available to all players.

This would create fresh opportunities throughout the lifetime of a game world rather than concentrating all growth potential at the beginning. New players joining several years after world launch would have a realistic chance to build an airline around a newly available airport instead of competing immediately against established carriers at saturated hubs.

I believe this feature would encourage players to join worlds at different stages of their lifecycle, improve long-term world activity, and make late entry significantly more appealing without negatively affecting existing airlines.

Thank you for considering the idea.