Compare MSFS 2024 edition aircraft counts, the best planes for training, airliners and bush flying, plus add-on compatibility and missing-aircraft fixes.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 includes 70 aircraft in Standard Edition, 80 in Deluxe, 95 in Premium Deluxe and 125 in Aviator. For most pilots, the best starting choices are the Cessna 172 for training, TBM 930 for fast touring, XCub for bush flying and Cabri G2 for learning helicopters; specialist add-ons broaden the choice.
MSFS 2024 aircraft list by edition
Your edition determines the bundled aircraft entitlement, so two MSFS 2024 owners can have very different hangars before installing any add-ons.
| Edition | Included aircraft | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 70 | The complete base fleet across airliners, general aviation, helicopters, gliders, historic machines and specialist working aircraft. |
| Deluxe | 80 | Everything in Standard plus 10 aircraft. |
| Premium Deluxe | 95 | Everything in Deluxe plus 15 aircraft, giving it 25 more than Standard. |
| Aviator | 125 | Everything in Premium Deluxe plus 30 Microsoft-published Marketplace aircraft released for MSFS 2020 between 2021 and 2024. |
Aviator does not include every Marketplace aircraft. Its extra 30 form a defined collection of Microsoft-published products, not an all-access pass to third-party releases.
For every manufacturer and model, including which tier adds each aircraft, see our complete MSFS 2024 aircraft roster arranged by edition. This prevents the common mistake of treating the 125-aircraft Aviator catalogue as the Standard Edition list.
What planes are in MSFS 2024 Standard Edition?
Standard Edition supplies 70 aircraft covering every major type of flying supported by Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024; it is the full base simulator, not a restricted trial.
- Airliners and large transports: examples include the Airbus A310-300, A320neo, A321LR and A330 family, plus the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 747-8 Intercontinental.
- General aviation: the Cessna 152, Cessna 172 Skyhawk, Beechcraft Bonanza G36, Diamond DA40 NG and DA62 cover training, touring and instrument flying.
- Turboprops and business aircraft: the King Air 350i, Daher TBM 930, Pilatus PC-12 NGX and Citation CJ4 support regional, utility and faster IFR operations.
- Helicopters: the base fleet includes rotorcraft for training, transport and low-level mission work, including the Bell 407 and Guimbal Cabri G2.
- Gliders and sport aircraft: the DG Aviation DG-1001E and LS8-18 sit alongside light aircraft, Cubs and the ICON A5.
- Historic aircraft: the Douglas DC-3, de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis and Wright Flyer represent very different periods of aviation.
- Working and mission aircraft: examples built for agriculture, firefighting, cargo and heavy lift include the Air Tractor AT-802, Canadair CL-415 and Erickson S-64 Aircrane.
- Alternative aviation: balloons, airships, powered parachutes and electric vertical-take-off aircraft extend the selection beyond conventional aeroplanes and helicopters.
Standard is broad enough for most simmers. Choose a higher tier when a particular exclusive aircraft matters to you, rather than upgrading for the total alone; our guide to choosing the right MSFS 2024 edition for its aircraft and features covers that decision.
Game Pass access corresponds to Standard Edition unless the account also owns an upgrade or separate aircraft. A model shown in a Premium Deluxe video is not necessarily available through the subscription version.
Are all aircraft included in every MSFS 2024 edition?
No. Standard provides the common base roster, while Deluxe, Premium Deluxe and Aviator add cumulative bundles tied to the account holding the entitlement.
Identify the exclusive models you expect to fly, then compare the relevant edition or upgrade bundle. Do not assume every edition-exclusive aircraft can be bought separately later.
The official total can also differ from the number of entries shown in the aircraft selector. Variants may be grouped or displayed separately, while liveries, carried-over purchases and add-ons enlarge your visible hangar without changing the edition entitlement.
Which are the best aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
The best MSFS aircraft depends on the flying you want to do and the depth of systems you expect.
| Aircraft | Best for | Why it stands out | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172 G1000 | Beginners and flight training | Predictable handling, manageable speed and useful glass-cockpit training | Included first-party aircraft |
| Daher TBM 930 | Fast general aviation | Airliner-like speed without a multi-crew cockpit workload | Included first-party aircraft |
| A2A Comanche 250 | High-fidelity piston flying | Detailed engine management, aircraft condition and convincing handling | Third-party payware; verify simulator support |
| Van’s RV-7/RV-7A | Sport flying and aerobatics | Responsive handling with tailwheel and nosewheel options | PC freeware; verify version support |
| FlyByWire A32NX | Free Airbus operations | Detailed Airbus systems, cockpit workflows and electronic flight-bag tools | PC freeware; verify version support and dependencies |
| Fenix A320 family | High-fidelity Airbus flying | Deep systems modelling for realistic short- and medium-haul procedures | PC payware; verify simulator support |
| PMDG 737 | Boeing airline operations | Detailed systems suited to scheduled short- and medium-haul flying | Payware; platform and version support varies |
| PMDG 777 | Long-haul Boeing flying | Wide-body systems and long-range procedures | Payware; platform and version support varies |
| CubCrafters XCub | Bush and short-field flying | Good visibility and short-strip capability, with tailwheel handling to master | Included first-party aircraft |
| Guimbal Cabri G2 | Learning helicopters | A sensible introduction to rotor control, hovering and power management | Included first-party aircraft |
Do not judge an aircraft by its exterior model alone. For a piston aeroplane, examine stall, trim, engine and ground-handling behaviour. For an airliner, flight-management functions, autopilot logic, VNAV reliability and procedure coverage matter far more. A polished cockpit can still conceal shallow avionics or incorrect handling.
Which aircraft should a beginner choose?
The Cessna 172 is the best first aircraft for most MSFS pilots because it is stable enough for practising pitch, power, trim, circuits and navigation without the workload running away from you.
Move to the TBM 930 once you can hold altitude, trim accurately, fly a circuit and manage an approach without AI assistance. It is not especially difficult to hand-fly, but its speed leaves much less time to correct a poor descent or missed checklist item.
Which free aircraft are worth installing?
The FlyByWire A32NX is the strongest freeware starting point for realistic Airbus procedures. It is substantially more involved than a training aircraft, so learn basic instrument flying before tackling its flight-management and cockpit workflows.
For sportier general aviation, the RV-7/RV-7A offers quicker control response than the Cessna. The nosewheel RV-7A is the more approachable option; the tailwheel RV-7 demands better directional control during take-off and landing.
Freeware quality varies sharply. Confirm that a download is a complete aircraft rather than a livery, install any required base aircraft or dependencies, and make sure the stated simulator version matches your installation.
What is the best aircraft on Xbox or PlayStation?
On Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5, the safest choices are included aircraft or add-ons delivered through the in-simulator Marketplace and explicitly supported on that platform.
The Cessna 172, TBM 930, XCub and Cabri G2 cover training, touring, bush flying and helicopters without manually installed files. PC downloads such as the A32NX and RV packages cannot be copied into a console Community folder. For a complex console airliner, check platform support, avionics depth and product documentation rather than assuming a PC recommendation applies unchanged.
Why is my MSFS 2024 aircraft list smaller than expected?
A short aircraft list usually results from the wrong edition, an active filter, an account mismatch or content that the simulator has not made available.
- Confirm the edition: check the purchase or subscription attached to the signed-in account. Standard, Deluxe, Premium Deluxe and Aviator have different entitlements.
- Clear aircraft filters: remove manufacturer, class, favourite and availability filters. A forgotten filter can hide most of the hangar.
- Compare in Free Flight: Career ownership is a separate system. An included aircraft may work in Free Flight while still requiring licences, specialisations, progression or in-career funds before Career mode permits its use.
- Inspect My Library: look for owned aircraft packages shown as disabled, unavailable or awaiting content. MSFS 2024 streams much of its official content, so connectivity and service availability can affect what appears.
- Verify the account: sign in with the account that owns the edition and relevant purchases. Another family or platform account does not automatically inherit the same aircraft.
- Restart after entitlement changes: after an edition upgrade or purchase is recognised, close and reopen the simulator before checking the hangar again.
Will MSFS 2020 aircraft work in MSFS 2024?
Many MSFS 2020 aircraft can carry over, but compatibility is not automatic and carried-over products never become part of the official 70, 80, 95 or 125-aircraft totals.
Marketplace purchases depend on publisher support for MSFS 2024. Manually installed packages can appear in the selector yet have blank displays, missing sounds, broken controls, incorrect flight behaviour or crashes. Our breakdown of MSFS 2020 add-on compatibility in MSFS 2024 explains the wider differences between transferable entitlements and genuinely compatible products.
- Confirm the simulator version: look for explicit MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 support in the package documentation.
- Check the platform: Community-folder downloads and aircraft requiring external programs are PC workflows, not Xbox or PlayStation installations.
- Install dependencies: some modifications require a first-party aircraft or another package to be present.
- Avoid duplicate versions: loading an old copy beside its replacement can cause missing textures, duplicated cockpit parts and avionics faults.
- Add aircraft one at a time: test each package before installing another instead of copying an entire MSFS 2020 Community folder into MSFS 2024.
If an aircraft does not appear, its package is often nested one folder too deep or placed in the wrong Community folder. Follow the correct MSFS aircraft installation and troubleshooting procedure rather than reinstalling the entire simulator.