This guide was created for Alpha 35.5-4. The list will be updated as soon as possible, when a new update is released that also includes changes for the research projects.

If you have any additional questions regarding the game, don't hesitate to join the official game forum or discord!

When you start a new game in Airport CEO, you will start with only the most necessary buildings available. That goes from terminal foundation, small runway, small stand that only accepts GA flights, as well as toilets and staff rooms and such.
Additionally the AVGAS aviation fuel for GA planes is already unlocked, as well as a small fuel truck and depot.

To increase the possibilities of your airport, for example to make it possible to take commercial flights, offer new services and unlock new vehicles, you can assign administrators to research project groups in the operations panel R&D tab.

For this you will first need to build terminal foundations and make a staff room for administrators. Don’t forget to place one desk for each administrator. Afterwards hire as many administrators as you need. Most beginner projects can have a max. of 3 administrators.

Don’t forget to build a bus/taxi/private car stop, so that your administrators can travel to the airport. Also public cars will not enter your airport if it's closed.

You can then assign the administrators in the R&D tab to the project that you have selected.

There are several ways to increase the general research project speed. One of them is to hire high skilled employees and train them to their maximum possible ability.

Another way is to hire Executives that have a great effect on staff and research. Especially the HR director increases the speed significantly!

• HR Director (Boost employee productivity by 15%)
  
• Strategy Director (5% additional R&D project research speed)

One more way to increase the speed is via the static research program. Program group 2 offers two options to increase the speed even more.

• Reduce Project time (10% increased project speed per employee assigned.
  + Additional employee productivity boost can increase it even more)
  
• Staff productivity boost (Increase staff productivity by 8% per employee assigned)

Apart from the normal research projects, you can also increase the speed of the efficiency build-up of static project programs by hiring the CIO.

• CIO (Increases efficiency build-up speed by 5%)

Here you can also find a very simple and easy readable flowchart of all projects, made by rubble:
https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2174271732

To make it easier finding what you're looking for, I categorize the projects the same way as they are in the game.

1. Aircraft and passenger
   
2. Fuel
   
3. Baggage
   
4. Management
   
5. Franchise
   
6. Program groups

Description:
Get the license required to handle travelling passengers. This is the first step in your journey to become an airport CEO!


Generally unlocked:
- Commercial airlines contracts
- Commercial runways and aircraft stands
- Secure zone tool
- International zone tool

Structure unlocked:
- Check-in desk (small)
- Security checkpoint (small)
- Passport checkpoint
- Security exit
- Boarding desk (small)
- Information desk (small & medium)
- Flight information display
- Walkalator

Employees unlocked:
- Passenger service agent
- Security officer
- Ramp agent
- Aircraft maintenance technician (Will be added in A36)
- CIO
- HR Director
- Procurement director
- Strategy director

New research unlocked:
- Medium aircraft permit
- Night flights
- Floor construction permit
- Extended commercial license
- Remote stand service
- Baggage handling
- Franchise shops
- Franchise cafés

Description:
As your airport’s needs increases, so does the governmental requirements. An extended commercial license givey you the right to schedule more flights per day and build a large ATCT.


Generally unlocked:
- Medium ATC tower with a capability to handle 75 flights per day
- Airline lounges

New research unlocked:
- Subway permit
- Aircraft cabin cleaning
- Catering service
- De-icing permit
- Automation
- Ultimate commercial license
- Multiple terminal operations

Description:
The ultimate commercial license proves you are a true airport CEO! It gives you the rights to maximize your operation through even more flights per day.


Generally unlocked:
- Large ATC tower with a capability to handle 200 flights per day.

Description:
Unlocks structures and items needed for an airport to accept flights with aircraft of medium size.


Structure unlocked:
- Medium runway
- Medium runway entrance
- Medium aircraft stand
- Medium boarding desk
- Medium security checkpoint
- Medium de-icing pad (only if de-icing permit is researched)

Vehicles unlocked:
- Stair truck
- Small pushforce pushback truck

New research unlocked:
- Large aircraft permit
- Belt loader

Description:
Unlocks structures and items needed for an airport to accept flights with aircraft of large size. Time to bring those big birds home!


Structure unlocked:
- Large runway
- Large runway entrance
- Large aircraft stand
- Large de-icing pad (only if de-icing permit is researched)

Vehicles unlocked:
- Large carrier belt loader truck (ULD)
- Large dominator pushback truck

Description:
Gives you permission to build terminal floors and accompanied structures such as conveyor belt lifts, stairs and escalators.


Generally unlocked:
- Terminal floors

Structure unlocked:
- Stairs
- Escalator
- Elevator
- Conveyor belt escalator
- Jetway stand upgrade (Medium & Large aircraft stands)

Description:
Unlocks remote stand infrastructure.


Structure unlocked:
- Airside shuttle bus stop
- Service car stop

Vehicles unlocked:
- Airside shuttle bus
- Service car

Description:
Negotiate the rights to accept flights during night time (22:00-05:00).


Generally unlocked:
- Night flights

New research unlocked:
- Advanced runway lighting

Description:
Unlocks runway lights which make it easier for pilots to safely bring aircraft down in poor visibility.


Structure unlocked:
- Advanced runway lighting (Runway Upgrade)

Description:
Unlocks the belt loader which provides a faster way to load medium aircraft.


Vehicle unlocked:
- Small hauler belt loader truck

Description:
Gives you the permission to build subway stations that connects to the local subway network.


Structure unlocked:
- Subway entrance

Description:
Negotiate the rights to provide cleaning of aircraft cabins and have an on-site waste depot.


Structure unlocked:
- Waste depot

Vehicles unlocked:
- Aircraft cabin cleaning truck

Description:
Negotiate the rights to provide food catering to airlines and have an on-site catering building for food delivery and preparation.


Generally unlocked:
- Contract type: Catering food suppliers

Structure unlocked:
- Catering depot

Vehicles unlocked:
- Catering truck

Description:
Negotiate the rights to provide de-icing service of aircraft in sub-zero temperatures and have on-site de-icing fluid depot.


Generally unlocked:
- Contract type: De-icing fluid suppliers

Structure unlocked:
- De-icing pad
- De-icing fluid depot

Vehicles unlocked:
- De-icing truck

Description:
Prepare the management for operation of multiple terminals and make sure your employees and service vehicles only take jobs in their designated terminal area. Upon completion of this R&D project, you will be able to divide your airport into areas.


Generally unlocked:
- Terminal area assignment tool

Description:
Get the permit needed to operate refuelling of Jet-A1 aviation fuel.


Generally unlocked:
- Unlock JetA1 fuel structures
- Unlock JetA1 fuel type for all fuel vehicles

Description:
Unlocks the Maverick fuel truck, with higher driving speed and faster refuelling of aircraft.


Vehicles unlocked:
- Maverick fuel trucks

New research unlocked:
- Fjord trailer trucks

Description:
Unlocks the Fjord trailer truck, with greater fuel capacity than the non-trailer alternative.


Vehicles unlocked:
- Fjord trailer trucks

New research unlocked:
- Maverick trailer trucks

Description:
Unlocks the Maverick fuel trailer truck, with quicker speed and faster refuelling of aircraft than the Fjord alternative


Vehicles unlocked:
- Maverick trailer trucks

Description:
Get the permit to build larger depots of aircraft fuel to make your operation run more efficiently.


Structures unlocked:
- Medium fuel depot

New research unlocked:
- Fuel Tanks

Description:
Get the permit to build fuel tanks to store large amounts of aircraft fuel on-site.


Structures unlocked:
- Fuel tank

Description:
Unlock the permit to build baggage conveyor belts that routes your passengers’ baggage from check-in to the aircraft.


Structures unlocked:
- Baggage bay
- Baggage claim area
- Conveyor belt system
- Medium check-in desk

Vehicles unlocked:
- Baggage truck (Small & Large)

New research unlocked:
- Baggage security (tier 1)
- Tilt tray
- High-speed conveyor belts

Description:
Unlock the tilt tray to get more control of the routing of passenger baggage.


Structures unlocked:
- Tilt tray

Description:
Unlock the high speed conveyor belts to increase the airport baggage handling efficiency.


Structures unlocked:
- High speed conveyor belts

Description:
Unlock the generic baggage scanner to increase airport security.


Structures unlocked:
- Baggage scanner (I)
- Baggage destroyer

New research unlocked:
- Baggage security (Tier 2)

Description:
Unlock the specific baggage scanners to increase airport security.


Structures unlocked:
- Baggage scanner (II)

New research unlocked:
- Baggage security (Tier 3)

Description:
Unlock the security scanning station to increase airport security.


Structures unlocked:
- Scanning station (III)

Description:
Programs turn administrator work to benefits for your airport.


Programs unlocked:
- Upkeep cost reduction
- Salary cost reduction
- Repair cost reduction
- Increase construction speed

Research unlocked:
- Project group 2

Description:
Increase R&D experience to run two projects simultaneously.


Generally unlocked:
- Unlocks Project group two

Research unlocked:
- Program (Group two)
- Proactive maintenance

Description:
Programs turn administrator work to benefits for your airport.


Programs unlocked:
- Reduce project time
- Passenger satisfaction boost
- Staff productivity boost
- Marketing

Research unlocked:
- Project group (three)

Description:
Increase R&D experience to run three projects simultaneously.


Generally unlocked:
- Project group (three)

Research unlocked:
- Program (group three)

Description:
Programs turn administrator work to benefits for your airport.


Programs unlocked:
- Airline relations
- High security alert
- Supplier discount
- Emergency prevention work

Description:
Programs turn administrator work to benefits for your airport.


Structure unlocked:
- Concrete runways
- Concrete runway ramps
- Concrete foundation
- Concrete stands
- Concrete roads

Description:
Enables janitors and service technicians to maintain floors and objects before they become dirty or broken.


Generally unlocked:
- Proactive cleaning
- Proactive repairs

Description:
Embrace the future and allow your staff some rest with automated systems.


Structures unlocked:
- Self check-in kiosk
- Baggage drop
- Self-boarding gate
- Automated passport checkpoint

Description:
Embrace the future and allow your staff some rest with automated systems.


Generally unlocked:
- Shop franchising contracts

Structures unlocked:
- Shop room
- Product shelves
- Shop counter

Description:
Get the permit to franchise cafés and bars in your airport.


Generally unlocked:
- Café and bar contracts

Structures unlocked:
- Food room
- Cashier’s counter
- Food counter
- Display fridge
- Coffee machine
- Beer tap

New research unlocked:
- Quality kitchen restaurants

Description:
Get the permit to franchise cafés and bars in your airport.


Generally unlocked:
- Restaurant contracts

Structures unlocked:
- Cooking station
- Food preparing items
- Fridge freezer

Program groups are a great way to reduce costs and boost efficiency of your airport. Each group can have a max. of two programs active, as well as 5 employees per program.
A program does not start with full efficiency when staff is assigned. Efficiency will slowly build-up as soon as your staff starts working on it. Hiring a CIO will speed up the efficiency build-up by 5%.

If you find any information that might be outdated or wrong, please don't hesitate to write a comment.
Be aware that the descriptions of the projects were taken from the game itself (including grammar mistakes).

Thank you very much for any positive (and negative) feedback :)