Fix ATC not working in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 by checking radio power, COM selection, audio, flight-plan filing and add-on conflicts.
ATC in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 usually stops working because the avionics or radio is unpowered, the frequency is in standby, COM1 is not selected for transmit and receive, ATC audio is muted or misrouted, or the flight plan has not reached ATC. Check those first, then restart the flight and isolate add-ons.
How to fix ATC in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- Identify what has failed. Open the ATC or communications panel. If messages and response choices appear but you hear nothing, ATC is running and the fault is audio-related. If there are no usable options, concentrate on radio power, frequencies, the selected facility and your flight plan.
- Power the complete radio stack. Turn on the battery, the required generator or alternator, the avionics master and the individual radio unit. In more detailed aircraft, a dark display or an unpowered audio panel means ATC cannot use that radio even if other cockpit screens are working.
- Move the frequency into the active window. A mistake we see constantly is entering the correct frequency on the standby side but never transferring it. Confirm that the active frequency belongs to the tower, ground, approach, centre or information service you are trying to reach.
- Select the tuned COM radio. On the audio panel, choose the tuned radio—normally COM1—as both the transmitting and monitored receiver. If you tuned COM2, select COM2 instead. Check the physical radio volume knob as well.
- Use the correct contact sequence. Select the relevant facility in the communications panel, make the available initial call and respond to each frequency hand-off. Our explanation of the correct ATC contact and hand-off sequence covers this process without duplicating the troubleshooting here.
- Confirm that ATC has your flight plan. A route displayed in the Electronic Flight Bag or aircraft navigation system is not necessarily filed with the simulator’s ATC system. Transfer or file it using the available planning controls before expecting IFR clearance, en-route handling or an assigned approach.
- Check AI radio assistance. Copilot or AI communication assistance can tune frequencies and answer calls automatically, leaving no manual response for you to select. Either let it handle the whole exchange or disable that assistance and operate the radios yourself.
- Restart the ATC state. Close and reopen the communications panel first. If ATC remains frozen, return to the main menu and reload the flight; a full simulator restart may be required after a failed hand-off or an interrupted online session.
What does each ATC symptom mean?
| Symptom | Most likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No ATC options | Wrong facility, no airport service, radio unpowered or flight plan not filed | Avionics, active frequency, airport facilities and ATC flight-plan status |
| ATC text appears but voices are silent | Muted communications audio, wrong output device or speech-service interruption | Radio knob, ATC volume, headset or speaker output and online functionality |
| You hear ATC but cannot respond | No response is due, AI assistance answered, or you expect microphone recognition | ATC panel choices, last instruction and assistance settings |
| Correct frequency but no reception | Frequency remains in standby, wrong COM radio selected or station is out of range | Active window, audio-panel selection and distance from the transmitter |
| ATC stops during the flight | Missed hand-off, stuck ATC logic, lost online speech or an add-on conflict | Last assigned frequency, ATC log, online connection and installed add-ons |
Why are no ATC options showing?
No ATC options usually means the simulator does not have a valid facility or interaction to offer at that moment. An uncontrolled airfield will not provide tower or ground services, and a VFR flight will not produce the same clearance options as a filed IFR flight.
Check the airport’s available services, then tune the appropriate active frequency. If only the information broadcast is missing, use our focused checks for silent or unavailable ATIS reception.
Also inspect the control binding used to open the communications panel. Duplicate controller assignments can make the panel appear briefly, close immediately or react to the wrong button.
Why can I see ATC text but hear no voices?
If ATC text and menu responses continue normally, the radio logic is working and the problem is in the audio chain. Raise the aircraft’s radio volume, check the simulator’s communications or ATC level, and confirm that speech is being sent to the headset or speakers you are actually using.
Changing or reconnecting an audio device after launching the simulator can leave voices routed to the previous output. Restarting MSFS 2024 after selecting the intended system device often restores them. Our separate ATC, engine and cockpit volume checks cover quiet or misrouted sound in more detail.
If voices disappear while text keeps updating, an online speech interruption is also possible. Restore the simulator’s online functionality and restart it before changing radios or rebuilding the flight plan.
Can you speak to the built-in ATC through a microphone?
Stock MSFS 2024 ATC generally expects selectable menu responses rather than interpreting ordinary microphone speech. Talking into a headset therefore does not prove that ATC is broken, and a push-to-talk control alone will not select the displayed response.
Voice-control add-ons can provide a different interaction method, but they may replace or bypass parts of the built-in system. See our explanation of what MSFS ATC recognises from a microphone before troubleshooting microphone permissions.
What if ATC stops responding mid-flight?
ATC can become stuck after a missed frequency hand-off or an unexpected route change. Read the last instruction in the ATC log, tune the assigned frequency manually, transfer it to active and look for a new contact option.
If that fails, test a default aircraft in a ready-to-fly state at a large towered airport. When ATC works there, the original aircraft, radio procedure or add-on is responsible. When it fails in the clean test as well, check simulator updates, control and audio settings, online functionality and the installed core content.
On PC, temporarily move third-party packages out of the Community folder. On every platform, disable recently added aircraft, avionics or ATC-related content before retesting. Re-enable packages individually; otherwise one conflicting add-on can make a successful restart look like only a temporary fix.