Load Factor

Load Factor is an economic strategy game about building an airline from a single turboprop into a global network. It is played on a rendered globe featuring over 3,100 real airports, each with its own geography, runway lengths and weather. The game centres on five decisions: which aircraft to use, which routes to fly, what time of day to operate, how many frequencies to schedule, and what fare to charge.

Passenger numbers come from a demand model that takes into account distance, city size, connections and price. The game does not include a hub bonus, so hub-and-spoke networks develop only if the player serves markets in a way that leads travellers to route through them. Demand is initially hidden, and players can buy market research to reveal the value of a route before committing. Routes begin with mostly leisure demand and develop premium demand over time as they build a reputation.

The fleet includes nearly 40 aircraft types, from regional turboprops to the A380, modelled on payload-range physics. Runway length limits which aircraft can use which airports. Aircraft can be bought outright or operated on a lease, and cabins can be configured. Costs include live-market fuel prices, crew, maintenance, airport fees and distribution, and a weekly Route P&L ranks each route by its contribution. Weather can cancel flights. Players can set company posture across service, staffing, maintenance and distribution, which affects cost, reliability and reputation, and can schedule aircraft across a full week with turnarounds, curfews and continuity taken into account.