# Airport Time Machine vs EMERGENCY Operator

The clearest difference is price: EMERGENCY Operator at Free against Airport Time Machine's $4.99. EMERGENCY Operator also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 25 months) and ratings volume (933 vs 9). Airport Time Machine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

EMERGENCY Operator is free to download; Airport Time Machine costs $4.99 up front. EMERGENCY Operator sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Airport Time Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.

EMERGENCY Operator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EMERGENCY Operator has 933 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Airport Time Machine's written reviews are positive against 39% of EMERGENCY Operator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Airport Time Machine ships an update every 25 months, EMERGENCY Operator every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Airport Time Machine | EMERGENCY Operator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airport-time-machine/id661767360/reviews) | **[4.6 (933 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emergency-operator/id1532199343/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **933** |
| Positive reviews | **67.3% of reviews** | 39.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 48 MB | 395 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Big Fat Simulations Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/578114758) | [Sixteen Tons Entertainment GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/321227098) |

## What reviewers say

### Airport Time Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airport-time-machine/id661767360)

Experience the evolution of air traffic control from a humble grass airfield in 1925 to a bustling international airport by 1970. Navigate historical aviation milestones and manage diverse aircraft across multiple eras.

**Highlights:** Air traffic control simulation, Historical aviation eras, Aircraft management, Level progression, Diverse aircraft types, Steampunk era

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### EMERGENCY Operator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emergency-operator/id1532199343)

Experience thrilling rescue missions in this location-based game. Manage a fleet of emergency vehicles, respond to real-time calls, and keep your city safe. Compete with others to become the ultimate dispatcher.

**Highlights:** Location-based rescue missions, Manage emergency vehicle fleet, Respond to real-time emergency calls, Dispatch police, firefighters, and more, Train and upgrade units, Compete with other players globally

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Status | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tiny | $4.99 | one-time |
| VIP Status | $4.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Small | $9.99 | one-time |
| VIP Status | $9.99 | one-time |
| Medium | $19.99 | one-time |
| Kickstarter Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |
| Large | $34.99 | one-time |
| VIP Operator Bundle | $44.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large | $49.99 | one-time |
| Huge | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Realistic map and locations
- 🚒 Enjoyable emergency dispatch simulation
- 💡 Potential for updates and improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unrealistic vehicle routing
- 🕰️ Slow progression and upgrade process
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 📺 Too many intrusive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and loading issues after updates
- Inability to relocate buildings
- Incorrect or missing reward distribution
- Syncing issues across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to delete account and start over
- More emergency types and scenarios
- Multiplayer or cooperative gameplay
- Localization for more languages
- Improved vehicle and station placement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Airport Time Machine free?

Airport Time Machine costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is EMERGENCY Operator free?

EMERGENCY Operator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Airport Time Machine or EMERGENCY Operator?

EMERGENCY Operator is rated higher. Airport Time Machine averages 4.3 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while EMERGENCY Operator averages 4.6 from 933 ratings.

### Do Airport Time Machine or EMERGENCY Operator have ads?

EMERGENCY Operator shows ads; Airport Time Machine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Airport Time Machine or EMERGENCY Operator?

Airport Time Machine ships an update every 25 months, and EMERGENCY Operator every 3 weeks. Most recently, Airport Time Machine was updated on October 23, 2026 and EMERGENCY Operator on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*