Top 5 Best Airline Board Games for Airlines Enthusiasts
Whether you're an avgeek, a frequent flyer, or just love a good strategy game with high-stakes decision-making, there’s an aviation board game for you.
Below, we round up some of the best aviation-themed board games on the market — with a special nod at the end to our own Low Cost Airline Manager.
👨✈️👩✈️ 1. Sky Team (2023)
Designer: Luc Rémond
Players: 2 (cooperative)
Play Time: 20–30 minutes
BGG Score: ★ 8.0
Why It’s Great:
Sky Team offers a completely unique aviation experience — a two-player cooperative game where you and your partner act as pilot and co-pilot working together to land planes safely at airports around the world. With limited communication and real-time pressure, it’s a tense, thematic experience full of adrenaline and trust. A perfect pick for couples or gaming duos looking for something truly different.
🔵 2. Pan Am (2020)
Publisher: Funko Games
Players: 2–4
Play Time: 60 minutes
BGG Score: ★ 7.6
Why It’s Great:
Pan Am is a stunning, historically themed strategy game where players build upstart airlines, expand their networks, and eventually sell to the legendary Pan American World Airways. With a perfect blend of route-building, bidding, and economic strategy — all wrapped in gorgeous 1960s retro design — it’s a must-play for aviation and history enthusiasts alike.
✈️ 🇪🇺 3. Airlines Europe (2011)
Designer: Alan R. Moon
Players: 2–5
Play Time: 60 minutes
BGG Score: ★ 7.2
Why It’s Great:
From the creator of Ticket to Ride, Airlines Europe is a polished economic strategy game where players invest in competing airline companies across the continent. It combines elegant rules with deep decision-making, capturing the thrill of corporate maneuvering, stock speculation, and route optimization — great for both seasoned strategists and newcomers.
🛩 4. Jet Set (2008)
Designer: Kris Gould
Players: 2–6
Play Time: 90 minutes
BGG Score: ★ 6.7
Why It’s Great:
Jet Set puts players in charge of building an international airline network. It rewards long-term planning and tactical play as players balance short-term objectives with long-haul ticket strategies. A solid choice for those who love optimizing routes and managing growth.
🛫 5. Aeroplanes: Aviation Ascendant (2012)
Designer: Martin Wallace
Players: 2–4
Play Time: 90 minutes
BGG Score: ★ 6.5
Why It’s Great:
Set during the golden age of aviation, Aeroplanes blends route-building and business management as players race to expand air travel in the early 20th century. It’s slightly more niche but a hidden gem for fans of Wallace’s trademark mix of economics and logistics.
🎖 Honourable Mention: Low Cost Airline Manager (2025)
Publisher: Papaeya
Status: Just launched
BGG Score: N/A (New Release)
Why It Deserves Your Radar:
Our very own Low Cost Airline Manager is a fresh, fast-playing airline strategy game where players take on the challenge of running a budget carrier. Light on rules but rich in decisions, it captures the razor-thin margins, pricing battles, and smart optimization that define low-cost aviation.
🧳 Final Boarding Call
Whether you’re drawn to the glamour of the jet age or the cutthroat strategy of modern airline competition, aviation board games offer something for everyone. They’re not just entertaining — they’re a fascinating way to explore how airlines actually work, with all the ambition, risk, and turbulence that comes with the industry.
So fasten your seatbelt, shuffle the deck, and prepare for takeoff — game night is about to cruise at 35,000 feet.