Change AI aircraft destinations in FS2004 safely by editing traffic BGL flight plans, ICAO codes and times, then fix missing or duplicate routes.
To change an AI aircraft’s destination in FS2004, decompile the relevant traffic BGL with Traffic Tools, edit the destination airport code in FlightPlans.txt, adjust the leg times if needed, then recompile the source files and load the new BGL. Keep a backup and ensure the new airport exists in Airports.txt.
How do I edit an AI destination in FS2004?
The destination is stored in the compiled AI traffic schedule, not in aircraft.cfg or an in-simulator ATC setting.
- Close FS2004 and locate the traffic BGL. The usual location is
FS2004\Scenery\World\scenery, although an add-on may place its schedule in another active scenery folder. If several traffic BGLs are installed, you may need to decompile them to identify the one containing the route. - Back up the original file. Copy it outside every active scenery folder. A backup that still has a
.bglextension inside an active folder can load alongside the edited schedule and create duplicate flights. - Decompile the schedule. Use the FS2004 traffic BGL decompiler and compiler to produce the matching
Aircraft*.txt,Airports*.txtandFlightPlans*.txtsource files. - Find the required leg in FlightPlans. Each timed leg ends with its destination airport identifier, normally a four-character ICAO code. Replace only the intended occurrence; a global search-and-replace can redirect every flight using that airport.
- Check the airport list. The new identifier must have a valid entry in the matching
Airports*.txtfile. Its coordinates and elevation must describe the airport used by your installed scenery. - Correct the schedule times. A farther destination may make the existing departure and arrival interval impossible for the aircraft’s compiled cruise speed. Keep the legs in chronological order and allow time before the following departure.
- Recompile all three files as one set. Resolve every compiler error, place the resulting traffic BGL in an active scenery folder, and disable the original version of that schedule. We recommend restarting FS2004 after changing traffic BGLs.
- Verify the revised route. Set the simulator shortly before the scheduled departure, compare against UTC/GMT rather than local time, and put the AI traffic slider at or above the flight plan’s percentage. The board for inspecting live AI departures and routes can confirm which destination FS2004 has loaded.
If the three source files are unfamiliar, our explanation of the FS2004 AI scheduling workflow covers how Aircraft, Airports and FlightPlans records fit together.
Do I need to edit Airports.txt and the flight times?
Edit Airports*.txt only when the new airport is absent, but check the times whenever the route distance changes.
- Airport entry: Use the exact airport identifier recognised by the destination scenery. Do not invent coordinates or copy an entry for a different airport with a similar name.
- Arrival time: Allow enough time for the aircraft to cover the new distance. Traffic Tools may reject a leg that is impossible at the speed recorded in
Aircraft*.txt. - Following departure: Preserve a sensible turnaround and the correct day sequence, especially when a leg crosses midnight or the end of the weekly schedule.
- Traffic percentage: This controls the minimum AI density required for the plan to appear; changing the destination does not require changing it.
Can I change one arrival without changing the next departure?
No—not by replacing only one destination code. FS2004’s AI schedules are cyclic, and the destination of one leg automatically becomes the departure point for the next leg.
For example, changing the middle airport in KSEA → KPDX → KSFO to KLAS produces KSEA → KLAS → KSFO. If the next service must still depart from KPDX, add a valid positioning leg back to KPDX or rebuild the sequence. The final destination in the record also wraps around to become the first leg’s origin.
Why does the edited FS2004 AI flight not appear?
A missing or unchanged flight usually means FS2004 loaded the wrong BGL, rejected part of the schedule, or has not met the plan’s time and density conditions.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The old destination still appears | The original traffic BGL remains active, or a different BGL contains the same flight | Search every active scenery folder and leave only the intended version of that schedule enabled |
| Old and new flights both appear | Both traffic BGLs are loading | Move the original or backup outside the active scenery system |
| Compilation fails | The airport entry is missing, the comma-delimited record is malformed, or the timing is impossible | Restore valid syntax, add an accurate airport record and recalculate the leg times |
| The flight compiles but does not spawn | The wrong day or UTC time is selected, the density slider is too low, or the assigned aircraft title is unavailable | Check the schedule conditions and confirm the aircraft reference still matches an installed AI model |
| The aircraft lands and disappears | The destination lacks suitable AI parking or usable airport facilities | Check the destination scenery for parking appropriate to the aircraft and a valid runway layout |
For flights that remain absent after recompilation, use our route-by-route AI traffic troubleshooting checks to separate schedule, aircraft, scenery and density problems.