Master the pushback: when to call a tug, how the tug view works, which way to face, and what happens if you push the wrong way.
Calling a tug
A departure is ready when it has finished boarding and both the fuel tanker and the catering truck are done. Tap Push back and a tug drives over from the depot. You start with one tug; up to four can be bought in My Airport, under GROUND. If every tug is busy, the aircraft waits in a queue.
Driving the push
When the tug is hooked up, a wide view from beside the tug shows the nose gear and the taxiway behind the aircraft. Hold the throttle to push. The tower tells you which way to face, for example "face EAST". Tap that compass button before the aircraft swings onto the taxiway; you can change your mind until the swing starts.
Facing the cleared way scores a bonus and keeps your streak going. The other way still works, but the aircraft points away from the runway and its taxi route has to loop round the parallel taxiway, which takes longer.
- Look behind before you push: backing into a taxiing aircraft is a crash.
- The north stands (gates 9 to 12) only push back a short way onto the lane behind them.
- You can turn the minigame off in Options for automatic pushes.