Quick answer
Transport Fever 3 has four air facilities. Airfields (from 1920) handle small planes. Airports (from 1950) handle all planes and helicopters. Heliports and helipads (both from 1950) handle helicopters.[1] You buy planes in the hangar built into an airfield or airport, but helicopters only at a heliport, because only heliports have a helicopter depot.[1]
Which facility takes which aircraft
| Facility | Compatible vehicles | Available from |
|---|---|---|
| Airfield | Small planes | 1920 |
| Airport | All planes and helicopters | 1950 |
| Heliport | Helicopters (with helicopter depot) | 1950 |
| Helipad | Helicopters (landing and take-off only) | 1950 |
Source: official manual.[1]
Where to buy aircraft
- Planes: airports "already have aircraft hangars (depots) integrated into them", so there is no separate depot to build.[1]
- Helicopters: heliports "feature an integrated helicopter-only depot, which is required to purchase helicopters". Smaller helipads only allow landing and take-off.[1] An airport can serve helicopters, but you still need a heliport to buy them.
Expanding an airport
- "Airports can be extended by a second runway." You can then add a taxiway, more terminals and hangars on the far side of it.[1]
- Runway direction: place the approach lights on the side where planes should land.[1]
- Passengers and cargo together: you can add terminals for both to the same airfield or airport.[1]
Helicopters are new
Helicopters (and cargo trams) appear for the first time in the series. They "can be used for both passenger and freight services".[2] One achievement, Offshore, asks for your first helicopter landing on an oil platform in free game (achievements).[3]
Deluxe aircraft
The Deluxe Edition adds the Concorde and the Sikorsky S-76 Spirit helicopter, among its six extra vehicles (editions).[4]
What we don't know yet
The official material does not yet list every aircraft model with its speed, capacity or price. To check a specific plane, look at the vehicle photo in the shop, which shows "cost, maintenance cost, availability".[5]
