What is GSX Pro, and how do you set it up in MSFS?
GSX Pro is a paid PC add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 that replaces basic ground handling with interactive boarding, baggage, catering, refuelling, marshalling and pushback. Set it up with the FSDT Universal Installer, activate it, verify its Community-package link and Couatl process, then configure the aircraft and airport profile.
What does GSX Pro add to Microsoft Flight Simulator?
GSX Pro adds a managed ground-service sequence around your aircraft rather than merely placing static vehicles at the gate.
- Passenger boarding and deboarding, including visible passengers where the aircraft and airport arrangement support them
- Baggage and cargo loading
- Catering and refuelling vehicles
- Marshaller and follow-me operations
- Pushback tugs, route selection and ground-crew communication
- Aircraft door, service-point and vehicle-position configuration
- Airport profiles for stand positions, stopping points and pushback routes
It does not replace airport scenery, ATC or an aircraft's own systems. An airport profile only tells GSX how to use the existing stand layout. Likewise, some complex aircraft require fuel, payload or doors to be controlled through their own EFB rather than directly by GSX.
How do you install and set up GSX Pro?
- Confirm the platform. GSX Pro is a PC add-on because it needs the external Couatl process and a package linked to the simulator's Community folder. It cannot be installed on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Run the vendor-supplied FSDT Universal Installer, sign in or enter the required licence details, and activate GSX Pro. Our detailed GSX Pro installation and activation steps cover Couatl, licence problems and Community-folder linking.
- Select the correct simulator. Install GSX Pro for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 as appropriate. If both are installed, check the target carefully rather than assuming they share one Community folder.
- Install all available GSX updates. The installer manages both the simulator package and supporting files used by Couatl. Do not move individual GSX folders manually after installation.
- Verify the Community link. The GSX package must resolve to the Community folder used by that simulator installation. There should not be a second copied or nested version of the same package. If you maintain an external add-on library, our explanation of managed packages and Community-folder links will help, but do not create another link for a GSX package already managed by its own installer.
- Launch the simulator and allow Couatl to run. Wait until the flight has loaded fully, then open GSX from the in-game toolbar. If Windows security software asks whether to allow the external process, blocking it will prevent the GSX menu and services from working.
- Test at a normal parking stand. Start with a stock airliner and stock airport gate to reduce possible profile conflicts. Set the parking brake, place the aircraft in the state requested by GSX and call one service at a time.
Which GSX profiles and settings should you change?
Change a GSX configuration only when the supplied aircraft or airport data does not line up with what appears in the simulator.
| Area | Keep the existing setup when | Change it when |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft profile | Doors, cargo loaders and service vehicles meet the correct points | Vehicles stop in the wrong place or GSX identifies a door incorrectly |
| Airport profile | The stand, marshaller and pushback routes match the installed scenery | Parking positions or stopping points are visibly displaced |
| Jetway replacement | You are using stock airports with compatible default jetways | A third-party airport supplies its own custom jetways |
| Pushback route | The supplied route follows the correct taxi line | The tug turns towards a closed taxiway, obstacle or wrong apron exit |
Profiles must match the exact aircraft variant and airport scenery. A profile made for another version of an airport may have the right ICAO code but completely wrong stand coordinates. Another mistake we see is retaining an old custom aircraft profile after GSX has gained better built-in support; the custom file can continue overriding the corrected data.
How do you use GSX Pro after setup?
- Park at a recognised stand and secure the aircraft with the parking brake or chocks, depending on its systems.
- Open the GSX toolbar menu and request deboarding, boarding, catering, refuelling or baggage service.
- Operate the doors as requested. GSX can control some aircraft doors, but others must be opened through the cockpit or aircraft EFB.
- Complete loading before departure. Close the doors, remove service vehicles and confirm that the aircraft's own payload and fuel indications are correct.
- Request GSX pushback and select the appropriate route. Do not run the simulator's default pushback at the same time. Our guide to the MSFS pushback workflow explains the underlying aircraft and tug controls.
Avoid calling the default MSFS ground handlers alongside GSX. Competing baggage loaders, fuel trucks and tugs can overlap, block one another or leave a service stuck waiting.
Why is GSX Pro not working?
Most GSX Pro failures come from Couatl not running, an incorrect Community-folder link, a mismatched profile or conflicting airport scenery.
Why is the GSX toolbar menu missing?
Update GSX through its installer and confirm that Couatl starts without being quarantined or blocked. Then verify that the GSX package points to the Community folder actually used by the selected simulator. Multiple Community folders are common on PCs where the simulator has been moved or reinstalled.
Why are services unavailable or stuck?
Make sure the aircraft is at a recognised parking position and satisfies the requested state: parking brake set, suitable doors open or closed, and engines shut down where required. If one vehicle is blocking another, reset the GSX position and request the sequence again rather than summoning more default ground vehicles.
Why are vehicles loading in the wrong place?
The aircraft or airport profile probably does not match the installed model. Remove an obsolete custom profile, test the GSX-provided configuration, and only use the aircraft editor if the door and service coordinates remain incorrect. Duplicate airport scenery can also place the visible gate somewhere different from the active airport data.
Why are there duplicate or unusable jetways?
Exclude airports that already include custom jetways from GSX jetway replacement. If a jetway still fails to connect, check stand alignment, aircraft door position and scenery conflicts using our jetway compatibility and troubleshooting checks.
Does GSX Pro work with MSFS 2024?
GSX Pro supports Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PC, but each simulator must be targeted correctly through the installer. Keep GSX and Couatl updated after simulator changes, and do not assume an airport profile created for MSFS 2020 will align with the corresponding MSFS 2024 airport.
Who benefits most from GSX Pro?
GSX Pro is most useful for airliner operations where turnaround, loading and pushback form part of the flight. It adds much less to general aviation, bush flying or quick runway starts, and it is unnecessary if you only want a basic pushback tug. Its value comes from coordinating the whole gate operation, not from improving the aircraft's flight model or airport scenery.