Plane Tier List
Which planes deserve your gates — ranked by value and progression.
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Plane Tier List
Ranking every aircraft in Itty Bitty Airport by progression value, payout efficiency, and infrastructure burden. Stats from planes hub — verify requirements with plane requirements checker.
Tier definitions
S-tier — Endgame crown jewels, worth maximum infrastructure
A-tier — Strong late/mid income, clear upgrade targets
B-tier — Solid stepping stones, situational value
C-tier — Necessary progression but quickly outclassed
D-tier — Collection/novelty, poor income ratio
S-Tier
| Plane | Payout | Cap | Why S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A380 | $95,000 | 200 | Highest payout, endgame capstone |
| Concorde | $85,000 | 120 | Long Range prestige, strong $/cap |
Both need Long Range ATC ($400K) — endgame airport
A-Tier
| Plane | Payout | Cap | Why A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747 | $70,000 | 150 | Iconic late income, 150-cap milestone |
| C-17 Globemaster | $65,000 | 130 | Strong cargo payout pre-747 |
| Airbus Beluga | $55,000 | 100 | First Large ATC wide-body |
B-Tier
| Plane | Payout | Cap | Why B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777 | $45,000 | 80 | Reliable mid-late workhorse |
| Airbus A320 | $35,000 | 60 | Best free mid-game narrow-body |
| Firefighting Plane | $30,000 | 50 | Free mid bump, Air Stairs quirk |
| Boeing 737 | $25,000 | 40 | Strong with 35R$ Gamepass |
C-Tier
| Plane | Payout | Cap | Why C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q400 | $12,000 | 20 | Outclassed by 737; 40R$ Gamepass |
| Sea Plane | $8,000 | 10 | Niche Water Runway |
D-Tier
| Plane | Payout | Cap | Why D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft Premier I | $5,000 | 0 | Tutorial plane — replace ASAP |
Beechcraft essential for beginner learning — not an income tier.
Efficiency metric: payout per capacity
| Plane | $/cap ratio |
|---|---|
| Concorde | $708 |
| A380 | $475 |
| 747 | $467 |
| A320 | $583 |
| Beechcraft | ∞ (0 cap) |
High ratio + reachable cap = tier boost.
Collection vs optimization
How to get all planes — collect everything
Income focus — rush S/A tier infrastructure, skip prolonged C-tier farming
Related
Plane tier list — Itty Bitty Airport BETA June 2026.