What are the best freeware airliners for MSFS 2020?
The best freeware airliner for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is the FlyByWire A32NX, thanks to its custom Airbus systems, capable MCDU and EFB. For long haul, choose the FlyByWire A380X or an A330-900neo. Kuro’s 787-8 and Horizon’s 787-9 are strong options if you own Premium Deluxe.
We rank flyable systems, flight behaviour and continued usefulness above exterior detail or the number of liveries. A convincing model paired with borrowed avionics and broken VNAV is not a top freeware airliner.
Which freeware airliner should you choose?
The A32NX is the safest all-round choice, while the A380X and A330-900neo suit long-haul flying.
| Aircraft | Best for | Extra aircraft required | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlyByWire A32NX | Realistic Airbus short-haul operations | None beyond MSFS 2020 | PC only; old releases can conflict after simulator updates |
| FlyByWire A380X | Detailed very-large-airliner operations | None beyond MSFS 2020 | Check its development status and expect a heavier PC workload |
| A330-900neo | Accessible twin-engine long haul | Usually none, depending on the package | Systems depth varies between A330 projects |
| Kuro 787-8 or Horizon 787-9 | Boeing long-haul operations | Premium Deluxe 787-10 | Not genuinely free for Standard Edition owners |
Why is the FlyByWire A32NX the best overall?
The FlyByWire A32NX offers the best balance of system depth, documentation and everyday usability among free MSFS 2020 airliners. It adds custom flight management, fly-by-wire logic, autopilot behaviour, engine systems and an EFB rather than merely repainting the default A320neo.
You can download the freeware A32NX package from our library. Use a stable release unless you specifically want to test development features, and remove an older copy before installing a replacement. Running stable and development packages together is a common source of duplicate aircraft and blank displays.
The A32NX is particularly good for learning airline procedures because it rewards correct use of managed speed, thrust detents, flight-plan discontinuities and approach setup. It is still a simulator add-on, not a substitute for an approved training device.
Which free wide-body airliner is best?
The FlyByWire A380X provides the most ambitious freeware wide-body experience, while the A330-900neo is the more straightforward alternative.
The A380X includes a purpose-built flight deck and extensive aircraft systems, but its size and complexity demand more from the CPU, GPU and memory than the A32NX. Check the release label before treating it as finished: an alpha or development build may contain incomplete systems and regressions. Our A380X availability and platform explainer covers the PC and Xbox restrictions.
For conventional twin-engine long haul, the native A330-900neo package with updated systems and 4K liveries is a useful free option. Read the package notes carefully because A330 projects differ significantly: some provide customised Airbus systems, while others are primarily native models using adapted avionics.
Do free 787-8 and 787-9 add-ons require Premium Deluxe?
Yes, the Kuro 787-8 and Horizon 787-9 depend on assets and systems from the Premium Deluxe 787-10.
The add-on download may cost nothing, but it will not become a working 787 for someone who owns only the Standard Edition. Verify that the base 787-10 is installed and working before troubleshooting either variant. Owners without it should choose the A32NX, A330 or A380X instead.
If you want Boeing operations without another purchase, the 747-8 included with MSFS 2020 is the more sensible choice. It is not freeware—the aircraft licence comes with the simulator—but it is generally preferable to an old free 737 or 747 conversion with mismatched cockpit systems.
Are these freeware airliners available on Xbox?
No, the external Community-folder aircraft listed here are PC add-ons and cannot be installed manually on Xbox.
Xbox users are limited to aircraft distributed through the in-simulator Marketplace. A free livery does not add the underlying aircraft, and a Marketplace listing with a familiar airliner name should not be assumed to match the systems depth of the PC freeware projects.
How do you install a freeware airliner in MSFS 2020?
Install the MSFS 2020 release into the active Community folder, unless the package supplies its own installer.
- Confirm the simulator version. Do not assume a package labelled for MSFS 2024 is interchangeable with its MSFS 2020 release.
- Extract the archive. The aircraft’s top-level folder should normally contain files such as
manifest.jsonandlayout.json. - Remove older copies. Deleting the previous package before installing the new one prevents obsolete files from surviving an overwrite.
- Place the package in Community. Our step-by-step MSFS 2020 mod-installation guide explains how to find the correct folder for each PC installation type.
- Start the simulator and verify the aircraft. If it does not appear, check for an extra nested folder before changing anything else.
Why are the displays blank or the aircraft missing?
Blank avionics or a missing aircraft usually indicate an installation, dependency or compatibility problem rather than a graphics setting.
- Aircraft absent from the selector: the package is nested one folder too deep, installed in the wrong Community folder or built for another simulator version.
- Black cockpit displays: remove duplicate releases and conflicting cockpit modifications, then reinstall a clean copy.
- 787 variant will not load: confirm that the Premium Deluxe 787-10 is installed and available.
- Airbus thrust behaves incorrectly: calibrate the throttle detents in the aircraft’s EFB instead of repeatedly changing the controller sensitivity.
- Problems began after a simulator update: test with other Community packages removed and obtain a compatible aircraft release rather than overwriting files again.
What freeware airliners should you avoid?
Avoid old FSX ports, model swaps advertised as complete aircraft and livery packs that do not include a flyable base model.
A mistake we see constantly is judging an airliner by screenshots alone. Check that the download identifies its cockpit, flight model, required base aircraft and supported simulator version. If those details are missing, expect borrowed avionics, inaccurate fuel behaviour or an autopilot that cannot follow a normal IFR arrival.