Taxiway and Jetway
Control where planes go by understanding last-jetway pathfinding.
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Taxiway and Jetway Guide
The difference between a chaotic apron and a profitable hub in Itty Bitty Airport often comes down to two words: last placed. Planes do not distribute evenly across your gates. They pathfind to the last jetway you placed, taxiing from runway exit through your network whether or not that gate makes sense. Master taxiways and jetways and you control traffic without a single script.
The last-placed jetway rule
When any plane lands:
- It exits the runway onto connected taxiways
- Pathfinder calculates route to most recently placed jetway
- It docks if jetway type, capacity, and ATC all match
- Payout triggers on successful servicing
Place jetway #5 after jetways #1–4? All traffic targets #5 until you place #6.
This is not a bug — it is core BETA design from Taco Dev. Documented across planes not landing, jetways build page, and community Discord.
Jetway types and plane matching
| Jetway type | Example planes |
|---|---|
| Air Stairs | Beechcraft, Q400, Sea Plane, Firefighting |
| Small Jetbridge | Boeing 737, Airbus A320 |
| Medium Jetbridge | Boeing 777, Beluga, C-17 |
| Double Jetbridge | Boeing 747, Concorde, A380 |
Wrong jetway at last-placed gate = plane stuck on taxiway. Verify with plane requirements checker.
Taxiway design principles
Connect before you gate
Build runway → taxiway → terminal apron spines before placing jetways. Runways and taxiways covers runway classes.
One primary spine
Star-pattern taxiways from runway midpoint reduce dead ends. Airport layouts shows proven patterns.
Place jetways in intentional order
Want 747 at Concourse A? Complete Concourses B and C jetways first, then place A’s Double Jetbridge last when 747 becomes priority.
Avoid path blockers
Monorail pillars, food stalls, misplaced decor — monorail and outside | food and comfort
Strategic jetway placement workflows
Income focus: Last-placed jetway should serve highest payout plane you currently qualify for. Endgame? Point to A380 gate — Airbus A380
Testing new gate: Place temporary jetway last, confirm path, delete if broken before permanent build.
Multi-plane airports: Rotate last-placed jetway when switching active fleet — tedious but functional until BETA adds routing options.
Taxiway + capacity interaction
Pathfinding succeeds but plane rejects docking if capacity insufficient. 150 tiles for Boeing 747 — airport capacity
ATC and runway must match too — ATC towers
Common failures
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Plane circles runway | No taxi connection | Link runway to network |
| Plane stops mid-taxi | Blocked path | Clear obstacle |
| Plane reaches gate, no pay | Jetway tier wrong | Upgrade jetbridge |
| Wrong gate busy | Last-placed order | Reorder placement |
| New gate ignored | Old last jetway still exists | Delete or replace order |
Mobile vs PC building
Mobile makes fine taxi adjustments harder — mobile vs PC. Zoom in, use delete tool carefully, test one jetway at a time.
Advanced: endgame routing
Concorde and A380 share Double Jetbridge and Long Range ATC. Separate concourses with dedicated taxi spines prevent small planes blocking wide-body paths. Endgame airport
Related build pages
Related guides
Pathfinding behavior confirmed Itty Bitty Airport BETA June 2026.