How do I enable the taxi ribbon after landing in MSFS?

To enable the taxi ribbon after landing in Microsoft Flight Simulator, turn on Taxi Ribbon under the Navigation Aids assistance settings, clear the runway, then use the ATC panel to request taxi to a gate or parking stand from Ground. The ribbon appears after ATC assigns a route and you acknowledge it.

How to show the taxi ribbon after touchdown

1. Enable Taxi Ribbon. Open the simulator’s assistance settings, expand Navigation Aids and switch Taxi Ribbon on. Menu placement differs slightly between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024; our guide to finding and saving navigation assistance settings covers both versions.
2. Vacate the runway completely. Cross the runway holding-position markings before stopping. Tower may first ask you to contact Ground.
3. Open the ATC panel. Select the Ground hand-off or tune the displayed Ground frequency. If the menu offers an option to report clear of the runway, select that first.
4. Request taxi to parking. Choose the available request for a gate, parking stand or general parking. The exact wording depends on the airport and aircraft.
5. Acknowledge the clearance. Once the route has been assigned and read back, the coloured taxi arrows should appear ahead of the aircraft.

The ribbon displays an assigned taxi route; switching on the setting alone does not create one. A mistake we see often is enabling Taxi Ribbon and waiting beside the runway without contacting Ground. For the complete communication sequence, see our explanation of the Ground-frequency and ATC workflow in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Why is the taxi ribbon missing after landing?

A missing ribbon usually means the assistance setting is off or ATC has not generated an arrival taxi route.

• No Ground clearance: clear the runway, accept any frequency hand-off and request taxi to parking.
• Wrong assistance preset: presets such as realistic or custom profiles can disable individual navigation aids. Check the Taxi Ribbon switch itself and save the changed profile.
• ATC has not been acknowledged: complete the readback rather than closing the panel immediately after requesting taxi.
• No suitable Ground service: small or uncontrolled airports may not provide a Ground controller or a generated parking route.
• Activity restrictions: Landing Challenges and some structured activities can finish at touchdown or omit the normal taxi-to-parking phase.
• Airport data problem: incomplete taxiway links or parking definitions can prevent a route from being calculated, especially at modified airports.

If the setting is on and a route has been assigned, switch Taxi Ribbon off and back on, reopen the ATC panel, and request the route again if that option remains available. Reloading the flight is the next practical fix when the interface has stopped updating.

Can I enable Taxi Ribbon after landing?

Yes. You can pause after touchdown, enable Taxi Ribbon in the assistance settings and return to the flight. The change does not require a new flight, but you must still obtain a taxi route from Ground.

If the ribbon was already enabled for departure, it should remain enabled for arrival. However, the departure route expires; clearing the landing runway and requesting a new route is still required. Our broader taxi-guidance walkthrough from departure to parking explains that full cycle.

What if the ribbon leads to the wrong gate?

The ribbon follows the route generated from the airport’s taxiway and parking data, not necessarily the stand you expected. Request a gate for an airliner and general parking for a light aircraft when those separate choices are offered.

At add-on or heavily modified airports, the underlying taxi network may not match the visible signs and painted lines. In that case, treat the ribbon as assistance rather than authority: follow the assigned taxiway names, signage and runway-crossing instructions, and never enter a runway merely because the ribbon points across it.