Planes

Those Sims living in the apartment building next to the Municipal Airport probably won’t be too happy with the frequent air traffic, but local industry will love that Cargo Terminal.

What self-respecting city would be complete without its own airport? The addition of a Municipal Airport opens your city to new opportunities, drawing medium and high wealth commuters and tourists while offering local industry the chance to export their freight by air.

Helicopters associated with the Police Precinct, Large Fire Station, and Mayor’s Mansion also require a Municipal Airport to operate, extending city services into the skies. Although the planes operating out of an airport carry fewer passengers and tourists than trains, ferries, and cruise ships, planes arrive with greater frequency, particularly as you expand the facility with additional Runways.

This keeps the commuters and tourists flowing in and out of your city at a steady rate. But remember, if relying on a Municipal Airport as a commuter hub, make sure other cities in the region also have their own airports, otherwise medium and high wealth workers must rely on other forms of transportation to commute to and from work.

Municipal Airport

• Cost: 85,000
• Operational Cost: 500 per hour
• Terminal Capacity: 200 Sims
• Prerequisites:
• City Hall in region
• Department of Transportation in region
• Description: Fly medium wealth tourists to your city on small passenger planes. Upgrade the airport for high wealth tourists and greater capacity or to ship cargo. Residents do not want to live near an airport, but airports boost the happiness of nearby factories.

Sims have a love/hate relationship with the Municipal Airport—nobody wants to live next to it, but they appreciate its ability to bring in tourists and export freight. If you’re interested in air transportation, be prepared to set aside a large parcel of land to accommodate this sprawling facility—particularly if you plan to add more Runway modules.

When possible, keep it far away from residential and commercial areas. Instead, consider placing it among your industrial zones. Factories love having an airport in the city because it allows them to export freight by air with the addition of a Cargo Terminal module—this works just like the Freight Shipping Warehouse at the Trade Depot and Trade Port.

If your city has plenty of factories, make sure you place a Cargo Terminal early on to boost industrial profits. If you’re more interested in attracting medium and high wealth tourists, build a Passenger Terminal and watch as commercial and private jets fly into your city to sample the local shops and attractions.

As air traffic increases, so will the wait time for incoming and outgoing passengers. The addition of a new Runway or two allows the airport to accommodate more aircraft, resulting in fewer delays and less frustration on the ground. As with any mass transit hub, build Bus and Streetcar Stops next to the Municipal Airport—at least the medium wealth tourists will enjoy the opportunity to travel into your city by other means than cars or taxis.

Modules

Municipal Airport Sign

• Cost: 200
• Operational Cost: None
• Maximum Modules: 1
• Description: Has a very long list of items not allowed on board.

Cargo Terminal

• Cost: 8,000
• Operational Cost: 300 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: Send your city’s industrial freight shipments out on cargo planes.

Passenger Terminal

• Cost: 8,500
• Operational Cost: 350 per hour
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: Increase your airport’s capacity from rinky-dink to something more respectable. Allows private jet flights of high wealth tourists and large passenger planes filled with medium wealth tourists.

Runway

• Cost: 15,000
• Operational Cost: 250 per hour
• Terminal Capacity: 200 Sims
• Maximum Modules: 4
• Description: Add an additional runway to increase the frequency of flights carrying passengers or cargo.