Find aircraft downloads for MSFS 2024, from freeware airliners to GA and military types, plus PC, Xbox, PS5 and compatibility limits.
You can download airliners, business jets, general-aviation aircraft, military types, helicopters and historic aeroplanes for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. On PC, aircraft come from the in-sim Marketplace or third-party packages installed in the Community folder; Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 users are limited to Marketplace content approved for their console.
Which aircraft types can you download?
MSFS 2024 aircraft downloads range from simple visual models to complete aeroplanes with custom avionics, flight models and cockpit systems.
| Aircraft category | Typical downloads | Choose this for |
|---|---|---|
| Airliners | Narrow-body, regional and wide-body jets | IFR routes, airline procedures and long-haul flying |
| General aviation | Light singles, twins, kitplanes and touring aircraft | VFR, training and short-field operations |
| Business aviation | Very light jets through to long-range corporate aircraft | Faster IFR trips without managing a large airliner |
| Military and historic | Fast jets, transports, warbirds and classic aircraft | High-performance, formation or period flying |
| Rotorcraft and gliders | Helicopters, powered-lift aircraft and sailplanes | Hovering, mountain operations and soaring |
Our complete MSFS aircraft and add-on catalogue covers these categories, but check the compatibility note on every file. A package appearing in an MSFS library does not automatically mean it has been updated for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Complete freeware aircraft examples
- The freeware A32NX package with stated MSFS 2024 support provides a complete Airbus A320neo with custom systems. It suits short- and medium-haul airline operations.
- This free A330-900neo package includes its base aircraft, systems updates and airline liveries, making it an option for wide-body routes.
Paid aircraft are also available through the Marketplace and, on PC, through developer-supplied installers. Price alone does not establish quality: compare system depth, update support, performance demands and whether the aircraft matches the type of flying you intend to do.
How do you choose a compatible aircraft download?
Choose a package explicitly marked for MSFS 2024 and confirm that it contains a complete aircraft rather than only a repaint, sound set or modification.
- Simulator version: Many MSFS 2020 aircraft can load in MSFS 2024, but compatibility is not automatic. Older gauges, avionics, animations or flight-model code may fail even when the aircraft appears in the selection screen.
- Complete model or livery: Look for wording such as “base model included” or “standalone aircraft”. A livery, repaint or texture pack requires the named aircraft to be installed separately.
- Required edition: Some modifications depend on an aircraft supplied with a particular MSFS edition. They will not work if your edition does not include that base model.
- Platform: A downloadable archive intended for the PC Community folder cannot be installed on Xbox or PlayStation.
- Dependencies: Check for required libraries, avionics packages or earlier base releases before installing.
A mistake we see constantly is treating every aircraft-shaped download as a new flyable model. Liveries and default-aircraft enhancements may change an existing aeroplane without adding another entry to the aircraft list.
Can Xbox and PS5 install downloaded aircraft?
Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro can install compatible Marketplace aircraft, but they cannot use aircraft archives downloaded from a website.
| Platform | External aircraft packages | Marketplace aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| PC | Yes, through the Community folder or a supplied installer | Yes |
| Xbox Series X|S | No | Yes, where approved for Xbox |
| PS5 and PS5 Pro | No | Yes, where approved for PlayStation |
Marketplace catalogues can differ by platform because aircraft must meet technical, licensing and control requirements for each console. Owning an add-on on one platform does not guarantee that the same aircraft is offered on another.
Installing a PC aircraft package
Most manually downloaded PC aircraft are extracted into the active Community folder, while Marketplace aircraft are managed through the simulator's content library.
- Read the package notes: Verify MSFS 2024 support, dependencies and whether a base aircraft is included.
- Extract the archive: Do not normally place the compressed download itself in
Community. - Find the package root: The aircraft folder should contain files such as
manifest.jsonandlayout.json. Avoid leaving that folder inside an unnecessary extra wrapper directory. - Remove an older copy: Delete or move the previous version rather than merging new files over it.
- Restart MSFS 2024: Open the aircraft selector and search by the aircraft's model or manufacturer.
Folder locations vary between Microsoft Store, Xbox app, Steam and custom installations, so use our full aircraft installation and Community-folder guide if you are unsure which directory is active.
Why doesn't my downloaded aircraft appear?
An aircraft usually fails to appear because the archive is still compressed, the package is nested too deeply, the wrong Community folder was used or the download is only a livery.
- Confirm that
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonare inside the actual package folder, not several folders below it. - Check that MSFS did not start in Safe Mode after a crash, which prevents Community add-ons from loading.
- Remove duplicate or obsolete versions of the same aircraft.
- Install any required base model or dependency named in the documentation.
- Verify that the aircraft supports MSFS 2024 rather than assuming every MSFS 2020 package will work.
If the aircraft appears but has blank displays, broken controls or missing animations, the folder installation probably succeeded. Those symptoms usually indicate an incompatible build, a missing dependency or a conflict with another version of the aircraft.