Learn why airport parking spots are missing in flight simulators and fix AFCAD conflicts, ramp-start data, stand sizing and scenery priority.
In general-purpose flight simulators such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, Prepar3D and X-Plane, missing airport parking spots usually mean the airport’s facility data does not define them, an add-on overrides the correct layout, or duplicate airport files conflict. Painted bays, terminal models and jetways alone do not create selectable parking starts.
Why can I see gates but not select them?
Visible airport scenery and logical parking data are separate layers. An apron can have painted stand numbers, terminal buildings and static aircraft without containing any parking records that the simulator can offer as starting positions.
Microsoft Flight Simulator airport packages contain compiled airport definitions, while FS2004, FSX and Prepar3D traditionally use airport-facility BGL files commonly called AFCADs. X-Plane obtains ramp starts from apt.dat. If those records are absent or overridden, the parking selector has nothing to display.
The reverse is also possible: a working parking start may exist on an empty-looking apron because the facility data is present but the visual scenery is incomplete.
What causes airport parking spots to disappear?
The symptom usually reveals whether the fault lies in the airport data, scenery priority or the parking attributes.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Rendered gates are visible, but no parking starts are listed | The scenery has visual stands but no logical parking records | Inspect or replace the airport-facility data |
| The default airport has parking, but an add-on version does not | The add-on suppresses the default airport and supplies an incomplete layout | Disable that airport package and test the stock version |
| Parking, taxiways or terminals appear mixed between two layouts | Duplicate airport definitions or incorrect scenery priority | Leave only one intended airport version active |
| A player aircraft can start there, but AI traffic will not park | Incorrect radius, parking type, airline assignment, taxi link or occupancy | Inspect the individual stand and its route to the taxi network |
| Only newer real-world stands are absent | The simulator represents an older, historical or deliberately simplified layout | Check which period the stock airport or add-on recreates |
How do I restore missing airport parking?
Restore missing parking by first proving whether the base airport works, then isolating conflicting scenery before editing any files.
- Confirm what is actually missing. Check both the airport or world-map start selector and the airport after loading. A stand ignored by AI is a different problem from a parking start absent from the selector.
- Verify the airport and layout. Confirm the ICAO code and check whether the scenery represents the expected historical period. Some small or discontinued airports intentionally have only one or two ramp starts.
- Test the default airport. Temporarily disable every add-on that modifies that airport, then restart the simulator. If the parking returns, the problem is in an add-on rather than the stock scenery.
- Remove duplicate definitions. In FS2004, FSX and Prepar3D, two active airport BGLs can compete even when only one supplies the visible scenery. Move the unwanted file outside an active scenery folder rather than deleting it immediately. The conflict notes in this practical FSX duplicate-airport example show why only one AFCAD version should remain active.
- Check package priority. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, disable competing packages for the same ICAO instead of deleting individual compiled files. In X-Plane, check which scenery package supplies the active
apt.datentry and whether a higher-priority package contains an incomplete airport. - Inspect the parking records. Check each stand’s position, heading, radius, type and taxiway connection. Our FSX walkthrough for editing parking and taxi networks demonstrates the relevant airport-design principles.
- Install or create one corrected airport definition. Replacement facility data is often the quickest solution for older simulators; our collection of FS2004 airport-facility files provides examples. Keep a backup and do not stack several corrections for the same airport.
- Reload the simulator completely. Airport definitions are commonly indexed or loaded before a flight begins, so returning to the menu may not be enough after changing active scenery.
Why will AI traffic not use an existing parking stand?
AI aircraft reject parking that is too small, incorrectly categorised, occupied or disconnected from the taxi network. This can make valid stands look missing even though they remain available to the player.
- Parking radius: the stand must accommodate the AI aircraft according to the simulator’s sizing logic.
- Parking type: gate, cargo, general aviation and military categories influence which traffic can use the position.
- Airline or operator codes: these guide AI assignment in simulators and traffic systems that support them; they do not create the stand itself.
- Taxi connectivity: an isolated parking node may appear in a start list but remain unusable to AI.
- Occupancy: another AI aircraft can temporarily make a correctly defined stand unavailable.
A common mistake is increasing every stand’s radius until traffic accepts it. Overlapping parking circles can cause new assignment problems, so the better fix is to use realistic dimensions and verify the connecting taxi links.
Should I replace the airport or edit it?
Use a corrected airport package when the existing layout is incomplete; edit the airport only when no suitable correction exists or you need a specific custom arrangement.
Replacing the airport is safer because a complete package can coordinate parking, taxi paths, runways and scenery exclusions. Editing is useful for adding a few missing starts or correcting stand sizes, but changing facility data can also affect ATC routes and AI ground movement. Always preserve the original and keep only one edited definition active.
Why does the flight still start on the runway?
If parking spots are listed but the aircraft still loads on a runway, the issue is usually the selected start position rather than missing airport data. The chosen stand may not have been retained, may be occupied, or may be unsuitable for the selected aircraft.
Select the aircraft and airport first, then choose a gate or ramp position and verify it again before loading. For persistent spawn preferences, follow our guidance on setting a default airport and parking start.