Enable AI aircraft and ground vehicles in FSX, choose the correct Traffic settings, and fix empty airports or missing moving vehicles.
In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, open Settings > Customize > Traffic. Raise Airline traffic density and General aviation traffic density above 0%, then set Airport vehicle density to Low or higher. Apply the changes and reload the flight if traffic does not appear. Road vehicles use a separate slider.
How to turn on FSX AI traffic and airport vehicles
- Open the Traffic settings. From the main screen, select
Settings > Customize > Traffic. During a flight, pressAltto reveal the menu, then useOptions > Settings > Displayand open the Traffic tab. - Enable airline AI. Move
Airline traffic densityabove 0%. - Enable general aviation AI. Raise
General aviation traffic densityif you want light aircraft and other scheduled GA movements. - Enable moving airport vehicles. Set
Airport vehicle densityto Low, Medium or higher. Low is a sensible starting point. - Enable road traffic separately. Raise
Road vehiclesonly if you also want cars and lorries on scenery roads. This setting does not control vehicles on the airport apron. - Apply the settings. Select OK. If the existing flight remains empty, reload it at a busy default airport and allow the traffic system time to initialise.
These are global display settings, so stock traffic does not require edits to aircraft.cfg or the traffic files merely to switch it on.
What does each FSX traffic setting control?
| Setting | What it controls | What it does not control |
|---|---|---|
| Airline traffic density | Scheduled airliner flight plans | Installing aircraft, liveries or new routes |
| General aviation traffic density | Scheduled light-aircraft and GA traffic | The player aircraft or unscheduled parked aircraft |
| Airport vehicle density | Moving service vehicles using airport vehicle paths | Road traffic, jetways or static scenery objects |
| Road vehicles | Cars and lorries on supported scenery roads | Ramp and apron vehicles |
| Ships and ferries or leisure boats | Marine traffic | Any airport activity |
The AI percentages are filters applied to compiled traffic schedules; they are not targets for gate occupancy. Setting airline traffic to 30% does not mean 30% of every airport's stands will be filled. To introduce particular aircraft, airlines or routes, follow our guide to creating custom FSX AI traffic schedules.
Why are AI aircraft still not appearing?
A non-zero slider only permits installed traffic to run; it cannot create missing aircraft or schedules. Test at a large default airport during daytime before assuming the setting has failed, as a small airfield may have few or no active departures at the selected time.
- Confirm both AI sliders are above 0%. Airline and general aviation traffic are controlled independently.
- Check the traffic files. AI requires an enabled traffic BGL containing valid schedules and airport identifiers.
- Check the aircraft models. An add-on schedule cannot display an aircraft whose model is missing or installed in the wrong FSX folder.
- Check older traffic packages. An FS2004-format traffic BGL can interfere with FSX-format traffic. Convert or remove the older file rather than mixing formats.
- Consider parking availability. Aircraft may fly but fail to appear at gates when the airport lacks parking spaces of the required size or type.
If the problem began after installing a World of AI package, use our WOAI installation and traffic-BGL troubleshooting checks.
Why are airport ground vehicles still missing?
Airport Vehicle Density produces moving vehicles only where the airport scenery contains a suitable vehicle network. A small strip with no vehicle paths can remain empty even at the highest setting, while an add-on airport may use its own animation system instead.
Static baggage carts, fuel equipment and decorative vehicles are scenery objects rather than traffic. They will not disappear or multiply when Airport Vehicle Density changes; our explanation of static versus moving FSX ground equipment covers that distinction.
Which traffic settings give a good balance?
Start with both AI aircraft sliders around 20–30% and Airport Vehicle Density on Low, then increase one setting at a time. Dense airline traffic is most visible at major hubs, while GA traffic matters more at regional fields and flying clubs.
- For airliner operations: prioritise airline traffic, keep GA moderate and leave road traffic low.
- For general aviation: favour the GA slider and reduce airline density if large hubs are not important.
- For limited performance: reduce road vehicles first, then airport vehicles and AI density as needed.
FSX must calculate each active AI aircraft, its route and its ground movement, so high settings can reduce frame rate sharply around complex airports. Our FSX performance-tuning advice explains which traffic and scenery options to lower when a busy airport becomes too demanding.