Scoring system

Your performance as an air traffic controller is measured by a point system that rewards safe, efficient operations and penalizes mistakes. Scores can go negative if you make critical safety errors.

How scoring works

• Points are earned for successfully managing aircraft through each phase of ground operations
• Points are deducted for safety violations, delays, and controller errors
• A time bonus accumulates for longer sessions (+20 points every 5 minutes, up to 30 minutes)
• Final scores are multiplied by a complexity multiplier based on airport difficulty (1.0x to 1.6x)

Earning points

Aircraft operations

Event	Points	When awarded
Departure	+60	Aircraft departs the airport
Runway vacated	+30	Arriving aircraft safely exits the runway
Gate arrival	+40	Arriving aircraft reaches its assigned gate
Landing clearance	+20	Landing clearance issued to an approaching aircraft
Runway crossing	+15	Safe runway crossing managed

Quick response bonuses

Event	Points	Condition
Fast pushback approval	+10	Pushback approved within 30 seconds of request
Fast taxi clearance	+10	Taxi clearance issued within 30 seconds of request

Time bonus

Duration	Bonus
Every 5 minutes	+20 points
Maximum	+120 points (at 30 minutes)

Losing points

Safety violations (critical)

These are the most severe penalties. A single collision can wipe out the points from many successful operations.

Event	Points	Description
Ground collision	-1000	Two aircraft collide on the ground
Runway incursion	-500	Unauthorized aircraft on an active runway
Gridlock	-200	Aircraft deadlocked, blocking each other
Taxi conflict	-150	Near-miss between aircraft on taxiways
Rejected takeoff	-150	Aircraft aborts takeoff roll

Clearance failures

Event	Points	Description
Missed landing clearance	-150	Aircraft forced to go around because no landing clearance was issued in time
Controller-instructed go-around	-50	Controller instructs aircraft to go around (may be intentional for sequencing)

Slow responses

These penalties apply when you take too long to respond to aircraft requests. Penalties accumulate every 60 seconds beyond the threshold.

Event	Points	Threshold
Slow pushback approval	-15 per minute	After 2 minutes waiting
Slow arrival taxi clearance	-10 per minute	After 90 seconds waiting
Slow hold short response	-10 per minute	After 2 minutes holding

Complexity multiplier

Busier airports with more complex layouts earn higher scores. The multiplier is based on the airport's complexity rating.

Complexity	Multiplier	Example airports
1 (simple)	1.0x	Small single-runway airports
2	1.1x	Medium airports
3	1.25x	Busy regional airports
4	1.4x	Major international airports
5 (complex)	1.6x	Multi-runway hub airports

Scoring strategy

Safety first

A ground collision costs -1000 points — that's the equivalent of 16 successful departures. Always maintain separation and issue clearances on time.

Keep traffic moving

Aircraft waiting too long at gates, hold short points, or after landing will start costing you points. Prioritize issuing clearances promptly.

Watch the approach

The most impactful penalty you can avoid is the missed landing clearance (-150 points). Always monitor the approach sequence and issue landing clearances before aircraft reach short final.

Balance departures and arrivals

Both departures (+60) and full arrival cycles (runway vacated +30, gate arrival +40 = +70 total) earn significant points. Keep both flows running smoothly.

Manage go-arounds carefully

An instructed go-around costs -50 points — sometimes this is necessary for safety. But a missed clearance go-around costs -150 points and is always avoidable.

Score breakdown

At the end of a session, your score is calculated as:

Final score = (event points + time bonus) × complexity multiplier

The score can be negative if safety violations outweigh successful operations.