Find and select airports in FS2004 by ICAO code, name or city, choose the correct runway or parking spot, and solve missing search results.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (FS9), open Create a Flight, click Change under Current Location, then search by airport ID, airport name or city. Select the airport, choose a runway or parking position, confirm the location and start the flight. During a flight, use World > Go to Airport instead.
How do I select an airport before starting a flight?
- Open Create a Flight. This is the main flight setup screen in FS2004.
- Change the current location. Click Change in the Current Location section to open the airport-selection window.
- Search for the airport. Enter its Airport ID, airport name or city. The Airport ID field is normally fastest when you know the code.
- Select the correct result. Check the airport name and location, especially where several airports serve the same city.
- Choose a starting position. Select the active runway, a specific runway end, or an available gate or ramp position.
- Confirm and load the flight. Return to Create a Flight, finish the weather and aircraft settings, then start the flight.
Clear text from the other search fields if no results appear. A leftover city or name can restrict the results when you switch to searching by Airport ID.
Which airport search option works best?
| Search option | Best used when | Common limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Airport ID | You know a code such as EGLL or KJFK | FS2004 may store an older or local identifier rather than the airport's modern code |
| Airport name | You know the airport but not its code | The database may use an older name or different spelling |
| City | You want to compare airports serving one area | The listed municipality may differ from the better-known nearby city |
FS2004's airport database reflects the simulator's era, so renamed airports and changed identifiers are a regular source of confusion. If you frequently need to look up unfamiliar locations, the in-simulator airport name and ICAO search add-on provides another way to identify them.
Should I choose a runway, gate or ramp?
Choose a parking position for a normal flight with engine start, clearance and taxi; choose a runway when you want to depart immediately or practise a specific procedure.
- Active Runway: FS2004 chooses a departure runway using the loaded conditions. Set the weather first if runway direction matters.
- Specific runway: Useful for approach practice or testing, but selecting it does not force ATC or AI traffic to treat it as active.
- Gate or ramp: Best for complete flights. Parking names and sizes come from the airport facility data, so add-on scenery may provide different choices from the default airport.
Selecting an airport changes the location, not necessarily the aircraft's systems. Engine, switch and panel states can be inherited from the default or previously saved flight.
Can I select a different airport while flying?
Yes. The World > Go to Airport command relocates the aircraft directly to another airport.
- Press Alt if the menu bar is hidden.
- Open World and choose Go to Airport.
- Search for the airport, select a runway or parking position, and confirm.
This is a relocation command, not a navigation command: it does not automatically rebuild an existing flight plan. To find nearby airports and fly towards one normally, use the GPS nearest-airport and Direct-To functions covered in our FS2004 GPS operating guide.
Why can't FS2004 find an airport?
An airport usually fails to appear because its identifier changed, its add-on facility data is inactive, or the default scenery files are damaged.
- The modern code returns nothing: Search by city or airport name. FS2004 may list the airport under the code or name used when its database was compiled.
- Add-on scenery is enabled but not searchable: Some packages provide visual scenery without an airport facility record. FS2004 needs appropriate airport data, commonly called an AFCAD, before a new location can appear in the selection list.
- A newly installed airport is absent: Confirm that its scenery area is enabled in the Scenery Library and restart FS2004 after making changes.
- The airport appears twice or has incorrect parking: Two active facility files may define the same airport. Keep the intended add-on definition active and avoid deleting global default scenery files.
- Many default airports have disappeared: This indicates a broader scenery problem; follow our default-airport restoration checks rather than reinstalling individual airports.