Use the LIMES and RIVMI holds well, read the fuel calls, and keep the congestion meter down so arrivals never collide or run dry.
Why the holds matter
An arrival you haven't sent anywhere roams the sky and fills the CONGESTION meter. At 100% roaming aircraft can collide. Sending it to a hold (the RIVMI or LIMES button on its strip) takes it off the meter and parks it on a racetrack until you're ready to land it.
You start with three holding slots. More can be added in My Airport, under ATC, up to six. When the holds are full, land someone before you accept more.
Reading the fuel calls
Arrivals burn fuel from the moment they appear until you clear them to land, including while they hold. The strip shows how many minutes they have left.
Under about 13 minutes of fuel the crew calls PAN PAN and the strip turns amber. Under about 6 minutes it becomes MAYDAY: the strip flashes red and moves to the top of the list. If an aircraft runs out of fuel, it crashes and the game is over.
- Land MAYDAY aircraft first, then PAN PAN, then everyone else in the order they arrived.
- Don't let one aircraft wait in the hold while you land newer ones; fuel is first come, first served.
- A go-around costs fuel. Only clear a landing when the runway will really be free.