Build your own airline empire
Start with $10M in the bank. Lease or buy your first plane, open routes, build hubs, out-fly your rivals, and grow from a regional carrier into a global airline.
Everything you need to run an airline
Fleet Management
Lease or purchase aircraft — narrowbody, widebody, regional jets. Match your fleet to your routes for maximum profit.
Route Planning
Open routes between more than 2,000 real airports. Balance demand, competition, and operating costs to find the most profitable connections.
Hub Strategy
Build connecting hubs at major airports to unlock network advantages and fill seats through codeshares and passenger flow.
Alliances
Join one of five global alliances or sign codeshares with rival airlines to pick up connecting passengers and reach markets you don't fly yourself.
Competition
Go head-to-head with computer-controlled competitors that have personalities of their own. Steal market share, survive fare wars, defend your best routes — or buy your rivals out.
Finance & Reputation
Manage cash flow, take on debt, and grow your brand reputation. Don't go bankrupt — but don't play it too safe either.
Loyalty Program
Build a frequent flyer program to drive repeat bookings and keep passengers loyal to your airline over competitors.
Operations
Lease gates, schedule heavy maintenance, hire and train crews, and set up ground handling stations and catering contracts. Operational efficiency is the difference between profit and loss.
How to play
Start by naming your airline and choosing a home airport. You'll have a small budget to lease your first aircraft and open a few routes. Advance the calendar a week at a time whenever you're ready — or let it tick over on its own every hour — as revenue comes in, costs go out, and your airline grows (or struggles).
As you grow, you'll afford larger aircraft, expand to more airports, build hubs, manage competitor pressure, and invest in your brand. The goal: build the world's best airline without going bankrupt.
Want real rivals?
Headwinds is the multiplayer version of Tailwinds: the same deep airline simulation, but every competitor is a real person in a persistent, shared world. Free, and plays in your browser.