[nexuist]

> could proposed airport innovations be paired with it to test how pilots feel about changes to layouts or e.g. how new runways may affect air traffic and other patterns?

This is a great idea. You could change the layout in the game and then monitor pilot behavior through e.g. VATSIM to see if it makes operations too confusing or if they can adjust easily. And if hobbyists can figure out, it should be safe for trained professionals to work with.