REFERENCE

Guides

Practical guides to airline management and the Gate & Globe community.

Start here

1. Found your airline

Join a world, fill in the founding form and find your way around the game.

2. Your first aircraft

Compare types, choose how to pay, set up a fleet and cabin, and take delivery.

3. Your first route

Research markets, plan a route with its times and fares, and fill the aircraft's week.

4. Your first months

What runs while you are away, your daily check, reading a route, and what to change.

5. Growing past one aircraft

When to grow, more aircraft, planning ahead of deliveries, a second family, new bases and hubs.

How a season plays

What runs on its own, what you decide on each visit, and how an airline grows.

Worlds & seasons

World types, tournaments, private worlds, settings, traffic rights and joining.

Fleet

Getting aircraft

New orders, used aircraft, leases, the broker and the lessors.

Fleets & maintenance

Fleets, airframes, checks, maintenance policy and replacing a fleet.

Cabins & service

Cabin layouts and refits, onboard service, fees, loyalty and lounges.

Network

Airports, gates & hubs

Gates, slots, airport charges, hubs, terminals and city markets.

Routes & timetables

Planning routes, the paths they fly, timetables, improving schedules and changing routes.

Markets

Passengers & demand

Where demand comes from, how travellers choose, connections and booking ahead.

Fares & revenue

Pricing by market, fares by hand, pricing rules and other revenue.

Reputation & marketing

Reputation by market, the brand, and marketing that works.

Cargo & charters

Freight in holds and freighters, freight contracts, charters and wet leases.

People

Staff

Staff needs, hiring, pay and morale, pilots, crew bases and training.

Money

Money & credit

Statements, the balance sheet, borrowing, fuel hedges, credit and running short.

Capital, shares & takeovers

Your capital, listing, the share market, buying and selling, dividends, CEOs and leasing companies.

Margin, shorts, options & bonds

Borrowing to invest, short selling and lending shares, calls and puts, the bond market, and why you would use each.

Competition

Alliances & partners

Alliances, codeshares, and letting other players help run your company.

Competition & rankings

How airlines compete, the world's airlines, rankings, news and season results.

Community

Using the community

Your account, the forum, chat, posting, following, messages and reporting.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start an airline?

Open Worlds and look for a season accepting new airlines. Read its rules and starting conditions, then choose your home airport. The five-part walkthrough in Guides covers every step from founding the airline to growing past one aircraft.

Is this Airline Empires 4?

Gate & Globe is an independent game inspired by Airline Empires and the ambition for a fourth generation. It is not an official Airline Empires release or a continuation operated by its team.

How does play differ from Airline Empires?

Demand follows real travel, so extra seats fly empty instead of creating passengers. Travellers connect across whole networks and choose on fare, frequency, journey time, comfort, service and reputation, not price alone. Fleets fly real timetables, aircraft wear and need checks, pilots are tied to aircraft families, and growth is limited by costs rather than caps. Players also own shares, and companies can be taken over.

Is Gate & Globe free to play?

Yes. Every world and airline is free. Membership adds rank insignia and lets you run leasing companies; other paid extras, such as liveries and banners, are cosmetic. Site advertising credit is separate from airline finances.

Can I earn membership by inviting friends?

Yes. Send a friend the link on Invite a friend. Once they have created an account through it and an airline they run has flown for a game month in a world open to everyone, you each get a month of membership. You can earn up to 12 months a year this way.

Do I need to be online all day?

No. An established airline keeps operating between visits. Each world sets its own pace, shown beside its clock: ×24 means a game day every real hour. Choose one that suits the time you want to spend.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. The site is built for a phone browser as well as a desktop. You do not need an app to use the community.

Where do I find reply and message notifications?

Community notifications appear on the site. Open Notifications to catch up, and manage reply and message preferences in Settings.

How do I report a problem?

Use Bug desk for a site bug, Report post or a chat message's Report for a community issue, or Contact the team for a private account matter. Do not include passwords, payment details, or sensitive personal data in a public post.