We’ve got a lot to talk about in this Development Update – and yes, we’ll start with the elephant in the hangar.
After reviewing the scope of work and the features being added, we’ve made the decision to delay the next Passenger2x update. What was originally planned as a routine patch has grown into something much bigger, and we’re now officially categorizing it as a major update.
It’s not finished yet, and it needs proper testing. We’re currently aiming for release no later than February 10th, but please note this is a target, not a guarantee.
This delay will also affect Passenger2 LITE and Passenger2 PRO users. We simply haven’t had the time to prepare and package the smaller editions separately while working on such a large update. Rather than rushing or splitting our focus, all versions will now update together once the major build is ready.
While we’re preparing this major update, we’ve also decided to extend the £10 discount for anyone who hasn’t purchased Passenger2x yet. The offer now runs until the end of February.
Why is this now a major update? The biggest reason is the full UI overhaul, including a completely updated top‑bar navigation system. Based on your feedback, we’re replacing the old multi‑layered menus with a clean, always‑visible icon bar that makes navigation much faster and easier.
The top bar will also display your current balance and monthly profit in shorthand (for example, $1,434,405 will show as $1.43M), with the full amount visible when you roll over it.
These changes alone touched a surprising number of systems, and combined with the wider UI makeover, they’ve contributed significantly to the increased development time.
We’ve been rewriting our file structure system to reduce the number of files Passenger2x needs to read, and the results are already promising, with file count reduced by over 250% and loading speed improved by over 50%. We’re still working on this and expect further gains before release.
Some users in Passenger2x have racked up 100,000+ bank transactions, which has become the biggest bottleneck in loading. A user suggestion led to a smart solution: monthly bank statements.
The second biggest loading challenge is fleets and routes, especially for users with hundreds of aircraft and thousands of routes. We’ve simplified several backend steps and are continuing to optimize this area.
This is why Passenger2 PRO has a 100-aircraft limit – it was a performance safeguard. With these improvements, we’re pushing past that.
We’re streamlining the loan system in Passenger2x to make it easier to understand and use. More details on this will be shared closer to release.
Originally scheduled for June, the new Drag and Drop Scheduling system for Passenger2x is now arriving in this major update. Since we were already deep into UI work, and thanks to your upvotes and Discord discussions, it made perfect sense to bring it forward.
The new system is far more intuitive and interactive:
This is one of the most requested features we’ve ever had, and we’re excited to finally deliver it months ahead of the original roadmap.
We’re continuing work on the AI flying upgrade for Passenger2x, with a focus on running AI in the background instead of forcing a loading screen. However, this is tricky as background AI can cause lag in the main UI.
We’re still exploring solutions and will keep aiming for a background system, but it’s not guaranteed yet.
You may have noticed the Historic Airlines DLC has been marked complete for some time. That’s still true; the DLC is finished.
However, since it depends on assets included in the major update, the DLC cannot be released until the update is live. So yes, the DLC is also delayed, but only because it’s waiting for the update.
Thanks for sticking with us through this busy development cycle. We’re building something bigger than we originally planned, and we’re doing it with your feedback at the core. More updates soon, and as always, keep the suggestions coming.
As always, we welcome your comments, and we invite you to join us on Discord, where we are happy to discuss and answer any questions from this Development Update.
