Where are AI traffic files stored in FSX?

In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, compiled AI traffic schedules are normally stored as .bgl files in [FSX folder]\Scenery\World\scenery. Add-ons may use another active scenery folder instead. The aircraft models and liveries those schedules call are separate, usually under [FSX folder]\SimObjects\Airplanes.

What is the exact FSX AI traffic folder?

The normal FSX AI traffic file location is Scenery\World\scenery inside the simulator's installation directory. Common default paths are:

Those are only default examples. Steam libraries can be placed on another drive, while boxed FSX may have been installed into a custom directory. The supplied airline schedule is commonly named trafficAircraft.bgl, but add-on traffic files can use almost any filename.

AI schedules are not normally stored in the Documents folder used for saved flights and user flight plans. An AI traffic BGL is also different from an ordinary pilot-created .pln file.

Which AI traffic files should I look for?

The traffic schedule, source flight-plan text and AI aircraft are three different things.

• Compiled schedule: a .bgl file containing routes, times and aircraft references. FSX loads this at runtime.
• AI aircraft: models, textures and aircraft.cfg entries stored under SimObjects\Airplanes.
• Compiler source files: files such as Aircraft.txt, Airports.txt and FlightPlans.txt. These can be kept anywhere because FSX uses the resulting BGL, not the source text.

Our guide to building and compiling custom AI traffic explains how those source files become a schedule BGL.

Why might an add-on use a different folder?

FSX can load compatible traffic BGLs from any enabled scenery area, so an add-on does not have to use Scenery\World\scenery. Some packages create a dedicated folder such as Addon Scenery\[package]\scenery, making the traffic easier to enable, disable or remove.

A mistake we see constantly is putting the schedule BGL beside the aircraft under SimObjects\Airplanes. FSX will find the models there, but it will not load the traffic schedule unless the BGL is inside a scanned scenery folder.

How do I find an installed AI traffic BGL?

Search active scenery folders, not just Documents or SimObjects.

1. Locate the FSX installation folder. For Steam Edition, use Steam's command for browsing the game's installed files if the library path is unknown.
2. Check the standard location. Open Scenery\World\scenery and look for filenames containing terms such as traffic, the package name or an airline name.
3. Inspect enabled add-on scenery areas. Use FSX's Scenery Library to identify active packages, then examine each package's scenery subfolder.
4. Search cautiously. A search for *.bgl will also find airports and scenery objects; the extension alone does not prove that a file contains AI traffic.
5. Back up before changing anything. Move a suspected file outside all active scenery folders and restart FSX to test it. FSX reads BGLs during loading, so changing one while the simulator is running is not a reliable test.

Can I remove a traffic BGL without deleting the aircraft?

Yes. Moving the schedule BGL out of every active scenery folder stops that schedule from loading, while its aircraft can remain under SimObjects\Airplanes. They consume disk space but will not appear unless another schedule or simulator function calls them.

If the aim is simply to reduce traffic rather than remove a package, use the simulator's traffic sliders first; our FSX traffic reduction and disabling instructions cover the available choices.

Why is AI traffic absent even though the BGL is present?

A correctly located traffic BGL can still produce no visible aircraft if its requirements are not met. Check these common causes:

• The airline or general-aviation traffic slider is set too low or to zero.
• The schedule has no departure or arrival at that airport, time and day.
• The required aircraft is missing from SimObjects\Airplanes, or the schedule references a mismatched title= entry.
• The BGL is inside an extra nested directory rather than directly within an active scenery area's scenery folder.
• A legacy FS2004-format traffic BGL is interfering with FSX-format schedules.
• Duplicate schedules are generating conflicts or placing aircraft on identical routes.

For packages installed through World of AI, follow our checks for missing WOAI traffic and misplaced files.