FSLTL not showing AI traffic in MSFS? Fix injector connection, Community folder errors, traffic conflicts, missing models and empty airports.
FSLTL usually shows no AI traffic in Microsoft Flight Simulator because the injector is not connected, the Base Models package is not loading, built-in MSFS traffic is conflicting, injector limits are too low, or the live feed has little data. Load a flight, start the injector, then verify connection, models and traffic settings.
FSLTL has two separate parts: Base Models, which supply the aircraft and liveries, and the Traffic Injector, which creates the flights. Installing the models alone does not generate traffic; the injector must be running and connected during each session.
Diagnose the problem from the injector status
The injector's status separates a connection fault from a model, data or airport problem.
| What you see | Likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Injector never connects | SimConnect connection, security software or simulator compatibility problem | Start it after the flight has fully loaded and check for a connection message |
| Connected, but the active count stays at zero | Live-data failure, quiet location, restrictive radius or aircraft limits | Test at a busy default hub and inspect the injector's data messages |
| Aircraft count rises, but nothing is visible | Models are not loading, or aircraft have been injected beyond the immediate airport | Check Base Models and temporarily enable AI nameplates |
| Aircraft fly overhead, but the stands remain empty | Parked-aircraft limit, occupied gates or poor airport parking data | Set ground aircraft density to zero and test a default airport |
| Generic aircraft or duplicates appear | Built-in traffic, multiplayer or another AI package is also active | Run FSLTL as the only traffic source during diagnosis |
Fix FSLTL not showing traffic step by step
A controlled test at a busy default airport will expose most FSLTL faults without unnecessary reinstallation.
- Load completely into a flight. Spawn at a large default airline hub and wait until the cockpit and scenery have settled. Start the Traffic Injector only then; launching Base Models does nothing because they are only visual assets.
- Confirm the injector connects. Its window or log should show that it has connected to Microsoft Flight Simulator through SimConnect. If it does not, close and restart the injector. A repeated connection failure points to the injector build, antivirus or firewall rules, or simulator compatibility rather than missing aircraft models.
- Check whether flight data is being retrieved. A connection to the simulator does not prove that the online traffic feed is working. Repeated data errors or an active count that remains at zero can indicate a temporary feed problem, no qualifying flights nearby, or limits set too low.
- Use only one traffic system. Turn off MSFS real-time traffic and offline AI traffic. Disable multiplayer temporarily as well, so every aircraft seen during the test must have come from FSLTL.
- Use moderate injector limits. Make sure IFR aircraft, arrivals, departures and the injection radius are not set near zero. Increase them gradually rather than selecting the maximum values, which can overload a busy airport without improving model matching or parking.
- Verify the Base Models installation. The package must be present in, or correctly linked into, the active
Communityfolder used by this installation of MSFS. The package root should expose itsmanifest.jsonandlayout.jsonfiles rather than hiding them inside an extra wrapper folder. Our guide to finding the Packages and Community folders MSFS is actually using covers Microsoft Store, Steam and custom package locations. - Remove competing traffic packages. Temporarily disable other injectors, AI model libraries, old flight-plan traffic and model-matching packages. Do not run two copies of the FSLTL injector.
- Restart MSFS after package changes. The simulator scans Community packages during startup and may not recognise a repaired or relocated model library during an existing flight.
What MSFS traffic settings should I use with FSLTL?
For a clean test, FSLTL should be the only system creating aircraft while MSFS ground aircraft are set to zero.
Menu wording varies between Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, but use the equivalent of these settings:
| Setting | Testing value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in live or real-time traffic | Off | Prevents competing injection and duplicate flights |
| Built-in offline AI traffic | Off | Stops generated aircraft occupying gates |
| Multiplayer traffic | Off temporarily | Makes it clear which aircraft came from FSLTL |
| Ground aircraft density | 0 or Off | Frees parking stands for injected aircraft |
| Generic AI aircraft models | Off, where available | Encourages use of installed FSLTL models; this mainly fixes generic substitutions rather than zero traffic |
| FSLTL aircraft limits | Moderate | Balances visible traffic, available parking and performance |
Do not disable the computer's internet access or block the injector while turning off MSFS live traffic. FSLTL retrieves its own live data, so it still needs a working network connection even though the simulator's built-in traffic source is disabled.
Why is FSLTL connected but the airport is empty?
A successful connection proves that SimConnect is working, but it does not guarantee parked aircraft at the gate beside you.
- The live feed may genuinely be quiet. A regional airport late in its local operating day can have few or no qualifying movements. Test during a busy local period at a major hub before changing the installation.
- Traffic is injected around your aircraft. Airports beyond the configured radius are not populated merely because they appear on the world map.
- The injected aircraft may be airborne. An active count includes nearby arrivals, departures and en-route traffic, not just aircraft parked on the apron.
- The scenery may have unusable parking. Missing stands, incorrect parking types, small parking radii or faulty taxi links can prevent AI airliners from spawning or reaching gates.
- Static aircraft may occupy every suitable stand. Ground-aircraft sliders and scenery-baked static models can leave nowhere for injected traffic to park.
- Parked-aircraft settings are separate from live movements. An airport can have working arrivals and departures while remaining sparse on the ground. Additional parked aircraft can fill stands, but they increase resource use and should not be used to prove that the live feed works.
How do I tell a quiet feed from bad airport scenery?
A same-session comparison with a default hub isolates the airport without changing the rest of the setup.
- Remain in the same simulator session and test a busy default airport within the active injection area.
- Watch the injector count and runway activity. If traffic appears there, the injector, data feed and models are fundamentally working.
- Return to the affected airport. If only a custom airport remains empty, disable that scenery and test its default version. Traffic that returns with the add-on removed points to parking or taxi-network data in the scenery.
What if injected aircraft are invisible or generic?
If the injector reports active aircraft but you see only lights, nameplates or generic models, concentrate on Base Models and model matching.
- Do not check the aircraft selection menu. FSLTL Base Models are AI assets, not flyable aircraft, so their absence from the normal aircraft picker is expected.
- Confirm that the model package loaded at startup. A wrong Community folder, incomplete installation or extra folder level can leave the injector working without the models it expects.
- Repair installer-managed packages through the same installer. Moving managed files manually can break links between the install location and the active Community folder.
- Turn generic AI models off. If FSLTL aircraft are visible but use generic shapes or liveries, this setting and the available model match are more likely causes than the live-data feed.
- Disable other model libraries. Conflicting aircraft titles, replacement packages and obsolete traffic add-ons can cause failed matching, substitutions or duplicates.
Our checks for nested packages, incompatible add-ons and AI-only aircraft explain the installation faults that also stop FSLTL models from loading.
Does FSLTL behave differently in MSFS 2024?
The same diagnostic sequence applies, but an injector or package intended only for MSFS 2020 should not be assumed to work in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Use an FSLTL release and installation target that explicitly support the simulator you are running. MSFS 2024 can use different package locations and menu wording, so copying a working MSFS 2020 folder into an assumed 2024 location is not a reliable installation method.
If the injector fails to connect only in MSFS 2024, check release compatibility first. If it connects and reports aircraft but no models appear, check that Base Models were installed for the correct simulator and package path.
Large AI counts also place a substantial load on the processor and main thread. If traffic appears but causes stuttering, delayed AI movement or severe frame-rate loss, reduce injector limits before lowering unrelated graphics options; our MSFS 2024 performance settings for reducing CPU and main-thread load cover the next checks.
When should I reinstall FSLTL?
Reinstall or repair FSLTL only when the injector or Base Models installation is demonstrably damaged.
- Repair Base Models if the package is absent from the active Community folder, its package files are incomplete, or aircraft remain invisible at every airport despite successful injection.
- Repair the Traffic Injector if it will not launch, closes with an error, or cannot establish SimConnect communication in a supported simulator after security rules have been checked.
- Do not reinstall for one empty airport. Traffic working elsewhere points to live activity, range, parking data or scenery conflicts.
- Do not reinstall during a data outage. A connected injector reporting repeated retrieval failures will not be fixed by replacing aircraft models.