FSLTL, FS Traffic or AIG? Find the best AI traffic add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator, plus PC, console, FPS and setup advice.
FSLTL is the best AI traffic add-on for most PC users of Microsoft Flight Simulator. It is free, combines detailed airline models and liveries with live traffic injection, and requires less configuration than AIG. Choose FS Traffic instead for predictable offline schedules; console users cannot run PC-based traffic injectors.
Which Microsoft Flight Simulator traffic add-on should you choose?
FSLTL offers the best balance of live traffic, visual accuracy and manageable setup, but each of the three main options suits a different type of flying.
| Add-on | Best for | Cost model | Main compromise |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSLTL | Live real-world airline traffic and model matching | Free | Needs an internet connection and a separate injector process |
| FS Traffic | Predictable, scheduled traffic without relying on a live feed | Payware | Traffic represents schedules rather than aircraft moving in real time |
| AIG | Custom fleets, flight plans and detailed control | Free | Installation and maintenance take considerably longer |
Choose FSLTL if you want to see plausible real-world flights operating around you with suitable aircraft and liveries. Its base models and injector are separate components: the models supply the aircraft, while the injector creates and controls traffic. Installing only the model library does not start FSLTL traffic.
FS Traffic is the better fit when you fly offline or want repeatable airline schedules. AIG suits experienced users prepared to manage airlines, models and flight plans individually. Our closer comparison of FSLTL, FS Traffic and AIG in MSFS 2020 covers those trade-offs in more detail.
How do you install AI traffic without duplicate aircraft?
The essential rule is to use one traffic source at a time; running an injector alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator's own live or offline AI traffic causes duplicates, conflicting liveries and overcrowded parking stands.
- Check simulator compatibility. Install a release explicitly intended for your edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 use separate package locations, and compatibility can lag behind major simulator updates.
- Install the model library and injector. Point the supported installer at the correct
Communityfolder. A common failure is installing into an old or inactive Community folder left by another edition or installation. - Disable competing traffic. Turn off the simulator's built-in real-time and offline AI aircraft. Set ground aircraft density to zero or a low value if generic parked aircraft are appearing among injected traffic.
- Load the flight before starting the injector. Begin at an airport, let the scenery finish loading, and then launch the traffic process. Do not run FSLTL Injector and AIG Traffic Controller together.
- Start with conservative limits. Test at a busy hub before increasing the number of active aircraft, injection radius or parked traffic.
Multiplayer aircraft are separate from AI traffic, so they can still appear alongside an injector. If two identical airliners occupy the same stand, temporarily disable multiplayer as well as built-in traffic to identify the second source. Our real-world AI traffic setup walkthrough covers installation and duplicate-traffic diagnosis.
Why does AI traffic reduce FPS?
AI traffic primarily increases CPU and main-thread load because each aircraft needs flight logic, animation, lighting and ground movement; reducing graphics settings alone may therefore have little effect.
At large airports, lower the active-aircraft limit and injection radius first, followed by parked or static aircraft. Traffic beyond the area you can see provides little benefit but still consumes resources. Detailed model libraries occupy storage, but simply having the models installed does not cause the same performance cost as injecting them.
For the settings that make the largest practical difference, use our AI traffic performance and FPS recommendations.
What if FSLTL shows no traffic or the wrong liveries?
No traffic usually means the injector cannot see the loaded flight, the models were installed into the wrong Community folder, live data is unavailable, or the selected airport genuinely has little live activity.
- No aircraft anywhere: confirm that both the base models and injector are installed, then check that the injector recognises the running simulator.
- Generic aircraft or blank liveries: verify that the model package is active and remove conflicting model-matching packages while testing.
- Departures but few arrivals: increase the injection radius cautiously and check whether arrival limits or culling settings are too restrictive.
- Aircraft stuck or going around: airport parking sizes, taxiway data, runway occupancy and the simulator's own AI logic can be responsible. Changing injector may not fix these behaviours.
- Heavy stuttering at hubs: reduce active and parked traffic rather than uninstalling the model library.
Can you use AI traffic add-ons on Xbox or PlayStation?
External AI traffic injectors such as FSLTL and AIG are PC tools and cannot run on Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5. Console users must use Microsoft Flight Simulator's built-in traffic or an in-sim product explicitly released for their platform.
For PC, our recommendation remains straightforward: use FSLTL for live traffic, FS Traffic for offline schedules, and AIG only when its extra control justifies the longer setup.