Is FS Traffic worth using in MSFS 2024? Compare its offline schedules, FPS cost, limitations and free alternatives before you buy.
FS Traffic is worth using in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PC if you want convincing airline models, scheduled offline traffic and less setup than free injectors. It is a poor buy if you need real-time flights, fly mainly from small airfields, use a console, or are satisfied with built-in traffic.
What does FS Traffic add in MSFS 2024?
Just Flight FS Traffic adds a dedicated fleet of AI aircraft, airline liveries and timetable-based flights to MSFS 2024. At supported airports, it produces more credible gate assignments and airline variety than generic traffic without requiring a live traffic feed.
Its main strength is predictability. The schedules are stored locally, so traffic does not disappear because an online feed is quiet or unavailable. The trade-off is that these flights are not a live snapshot: routes, operators and departure times may differ from real-world activity.
FS Traffic is primarily an airline product. It adds much less to bush flying, general aviation circuits and remote airfields where few or no scheduled services exist.
It also cannot repair the simulator's underlying AI logic. MSFS 2024 still controls taxi routing, runway use, spacing and much of the ATC interaction, so queues, unexpected go-arounds and aircraft waiting indefinitely can still occur.
Is FS Traffic better than FSLTL, AIG or built-in traffic?
No single traffic option is best for every MSFS 2024 pilot; FS Traffic favours convenience and visual consistency rather than live accuracy.
| Traffic option | Traffic basis | Best reason to use it | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| FS Traffic | Local airline schedules | Predictable traffic, coherent liveries and relatively simple management | Paid and not real-time |
| FSLTL | Online live traffic | Free traffic that broadly follows live movements | Depends on an online feed and separate injector components |
| AIG | Downloaded timetables and models | Extensive control, airline coverage and customisation | More setup and maintenance |
| Built-in MSFS traffic | Simulator live or offline system | No additional installation and available on console | Variable model matching, liveries and user control |
Choose FS Traffic when you prefer a paid, packaged solution over assembling and maintaining freeware components. Our comparison of the main AI traffic choices examines the alternatives in more detail.
How much FPS does FS Traffic cost?
FS Traffic has a real but manageable performance cost, with the largest impact appearing at busy, detailed airports. Every moving aircraft adds model rendering, taxi calculations and traffic logic, so a CPU-limited system can lose smoothness before the graphics card is fully occupied.
The purpose-built AI models are lighter than full flyable airliners, but injecting too many of them still creates congestion and stutters. Reduce the number of active aircraft before lowering broad graphics settings. Generic parked aircraft, airport vehicles and worker density can also consume performance while adding little to the traffic experience.
There is no universal safe aircraft count because the airport, user aircraft, processor and scenery all matter. Our guide to the traffic settings that recover the most FPS gives a practical order for reducing the load.
What settings prevent duplicate or missing traffic?
Run only one traffic source and make sure both the FS Traffic module and its aircraft-model package are installed for MSFS 2024.
- Use an MSFS 2024-compatible build. Install it into the Community location used by MSFS 2024 rather than assuming an older MSFS 2020 installation will be detected.
- Disable competing traffic. Turn off the simulator's live and offline AI sources while FS Traffic is injecting. Do not run FSLTL or AIG alongside it.
- Reduce generic parked aircraft. Set Ground Aircraft Density to zero or a low value if default aircraft occupy gates or overlap injected traffic.
- Confirm the destination. Load or enter the destination required by the FS Traffic panel so it can prepare appropriate arrival traffic as well as departures.
- Allow injection to finish. Testing immediately after loading can make a working installation appear empty. Traffic levels also depend on the airport, local time and available schedules.
A mistake we see constantly is leaving built-in live traffic enabled, then blaming FS Traffic for duplicate aircraft and blocked gates. Our installation and first-flight checklist for FS Traffic covers the complete setup without mixing injectors.
If an airline hub remains empty, check the package location, traffic source settings and model library before reinstalling everything. For persistent problems, use our missing AI traffic troubleshooting checklist. An empty general aviation field may simply have no applicable FS Traffic schedule.
Our verdict
For a PC airline simmer who values credible liveries and predictable airport activity, FS Traffic is a worthwhile convenience purchase. It saves setup time and avoids dependence on live flight data, but it does not provide exact real-world movements or solve MSFS 2024's AI and ATC behaviour.
- Choose FS Traffic for scheduled airline operations, polished model matching and straightforward management.
- Choose FSLTL when live traffic and zero purchase cost matter more than predictability.
- Choose AIG when extensive customisation justifies a more involved setup.
- Stay with built-in traffic on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro, or when you do not want to manage an injector.
FS Traffic earns its price through convenience and visual consistency, not through live accuracy. If those are the improvements you want from MSFS 2024, it is worth using.