Why are Aerosoft A320 liveries not showing?

Aerosoft A320 liveries usually fail to appear because the repaint targets a different A320 generation or variant, was installed with the wrong livery tool, sits one folder too deep, or lacks a valid aircraft configuration entry. The exact fix depends on whether you use FSX, Prepar3D, or Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Match the repaint to the exact Aerosoft A320

The repaint must match the simulator, Aerosoft product generation, aircraft variant and often the engine or external model. Airbus X, later A320/A321 releases and Professional editions are not automatically interchangeable, nor are A318/A319 and A320/A321 textures.

A repaint made for an FSX or Prepar3D Aerosoft Airbus cannot be installed as an MSFS livery merely because both aircraft are A320s. Check the repaint's Readme and required base aircraft before changing files; our Aerosoft repaint installation checklist explains how to identify the intended product and installation method.

How do I fix a missing A320 livery in FSX or Prepar3D?

In FSX and Prepar3D, confirm that the texture folder and its matching aircraft configuration entry are inside the active folder for the correct Aerosoft A320 variant.

1. Close the simulator. It may not detect a new repaint reliably while running.
2. Find the active aircraft folder. This is normally within an active SimObjects/Airplanes location, although Prepar3D add-on packages can store aircraft elsewhere.
3. Check the texture folder. A folder such as texture.AIRLINE must sit beside that variant's existing texture folders, not inside another wrapper folder.
4. Back up aircraft.cfg. Preserve a working copy before editing it.
5. Inspect the repaint entry. Its [fltsim.x] number must be unique. The title= value must also be unique, while texture= must exactly match the suffix of the texture folder.
6. Compare it with a working entry. Values such as sim=, model=, panel= and sound= should be appropriate for the same engine and airframe variant.
7. Remove menu filters and restart. Manufacturer, aircraft type or publisher filters can conceal an otherwise valid entry.

A mistake we see constantly is copying the texture folder but omitting the supplied [fltsim.x] block. Another is reusing an existing entry number or leaving the example placeholder unchanged. For this product family, the Airbus X installation and aircraft.cfg procedure covers both utility-based and manual installation.

A missing thumbnail normally produces a blank or generic preview rather than removing the aircraft from the menu. If the entire entry is absent, investigate the configuration block, installation path and aircraft variant first.

How do I fix an Aerosoft A320 livery in MSFS?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the livery must be a complete package for the exact installed aircraft and must be placed in the Community folder used by that particular simulator installation.

1. Confirm compatibility. An FSX or Prepar3D texture package is not an MSFS package, and compatibility between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 should not be assumed unless the repaint supports it.
2. Open the extracted package. The package folder should contain files such as manifest.json and layout.json. If those files are buried inside a second identically named folder, move the actual package folder into Community.
3. Verify the Community location. MSFS can use different package paths depending on platform and installation choice. Editing an unused Community folder changes nothing.
4. Remove duplicate versions. Old and renamed copies of the same package can conflict. Keep one known-good copy while testing.
5. Restart and clear aircraft filters. Select the precise aircraft variant for which the repaint was built.

Do not add a legacy [fltsim.x] block to an MSFS livery package. MSFS uses package definitions and layout data instead. Our MSFS Community-folder and livery package guide covers the installation formats and developer-specific compatibility checks.

Why does the livery manager say installed when nothing appears?

The manager usually wrote the files somewhere, but not necessarily into the active aircraft or simulator folder. Product-specific managers may recognise only certain Aerosoft Airbus generations, and a utility configured for an old FSX or Prepar3D path can report success while updating an installation you no longer use.

Inspect the destination rather than repeatedly reinstalling. Confirm that a new texture folder exists under the correct A320 variant and that the appropriate configuration file was actually updated. Also follow the repaint's archive instructions: some utilities expect the original ZIP, while other packages must be extracted manually.

If Windows permissions prevented the configuration file from being changed, install with suitable write access or make the backed-up edit manually. Do not use a different Aerosoft livery manager simply because it accepts the archive; acceptance does not prove that the repaint matches that aircraft generation.

Fast diagnosis by symptom

The pattern of the failure usually identifies where to look.

• Only one repaint is missing: suspect an invalid configuration entry, incomplete package or incompatible variant.
• Every imported repaint is missing: suspect the wrong simulator path, wrong livery manager or an inactive Community folder.
• The livery appears under another A320: correct the variant, model and menu-identification fields rather than moving textures blindly.
• The entry appears but will not load: check the base-aircraft requirement, model assignment and whether all texture files were supplied.
• The aircraft loads with grey or missing surfaces: the menu entry works, but the texture set, fallback configuration or model compatibility is wrong.