Import a Navigraph flight plan into X-Plane 11’s default 737 FMC, activate it through CO ROUTE, and fix invalid or missing routes.
Export the route from Navigraph in X-Plane 11’s .fms format and save it in X-Plane 11/Output/FMS plans. In the default 737’s FMC, open the RTE page, enter the file name in CO ROUTE, load it, then select ACTIVATE and EXEC. Check every leg before engaging LNAV.
Which Navigraph export format should I use?
Use Navigraph’s X-Plane 11 flight-plan format, which creates a file ending in .fms. Formats intended for other aircraft or simulators, such as Boeing .rte files, cannot be loaded by the default X-Plane 11 FMC through this method.
Place the exported file directly in:
X-Plane 11/Output/FMS plans
Do not put it in Custom Data; that folder is for navigation databases, not saved routes. If you keep more than one X-Plane installation, check that the file has gone into the installation you actually launch. Our explanation of standard X-Plane .fms file handling covers the format and folder structure in more detail.
How to load the flight plan through CO ROUTE
The default Laminar Research 737-800 loads the Navigraph file from the RTE page using its base file name. These instructions apply to the default desktop aircraft; modified 737s may use different FMC logic.
- Export the route: In Navigraph, choose the X-Plane 11 export option and confirm that the downloaded file ends in
.fms. - Move the file: Copy it into
Output/FMS plansinside the main X-Plane 11 folder. Keep it directly in that folder rather than placing it in a subfolder. - Use a simple name: A short alphanumeric name such as
EGLLKJFK.fmsavoids problems with spaces and special characters. - Power the FMC: Load the default 737 and establish electrical power. Open the FMC’s RTE page.
- Enter CO ROUTE: Type only the file’s base name into the scratchpad—for example,
EGLLKJFK, notEGLLKJFK.fmsand not the full folder path. Press the line-select key beside CO ROUTE. - Verify the route: Confirm the origin and destination, then inspect every LEGS page for missing fixes, duplicated waypoints and route discontinuities.
- Activate it: Select ACTIVATE and press the illuminated EXEC key. Until both actions are completed, the imported route may remain a modification rather than the active flight plan.
Why won’t the Navigraph route load?
Most loading failures come from the wrong file format, folder, file name or AIRAC cycle rather than a fault in the aircraft.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| CO ROUTE reports an invalid entry | The FMC cannot find the named file | Enter the base name without .fms, and confirm the file is directly inside Output/FMS plans. |
| The file looks correct but is rejected | It is another simulator’s format or has a hidden extra extension | Export again as an X-Plane 11 .fms file and check that the real name is not filename.fms.txt. |
| Waypoints or procedures are missing | Navigraph and X-Plane are using different navigation-data cycles | Bring the simulator and planning data onto the same cycle; see our steps for updating X-Plane’s AIRAC data. |
| The route contains duplicate legs | A procedure was imported as fixes and then selected again in the FMC | Compare the DEP/ARR selection with the LEGS pages and remove only the confirmed duplicate section. |
Do I need to enter the SID and STAR again?
Enter the runway, SID, STAR and approach through DEP/ARR only when they are not already represented correctly in the loaded route. Navigraph exports and FMC implementations do not always handle procedure information identically, so the LEGS pages—not the file name—are the final check.
Do not automatically delete every discontinuity. A discontinuity may mark a genuine vectors-to-final segment or a transition that requires an ATC clearance; deleting it blindly can connect two legs that should not be joined.
What still needs setting after the route is imported?
A flight-plan import supplies route data, not a complete FMC setup. You must still confirm position data and enter the performance, cruise, fuel and take-off information supported by the default aircraft. For the wider sequence, use our Boeing-style FMC programming workflow.
Why is the route visible but LNAV is not following it?
A loaded route is not necessarily active or ready for LNAV. Check that ACTIVATE and EXEC were completed, there is a valid active leg, the aircraft can intercept that leg and LNAV is armed or engaged. If the magenta route is present but the autopilot still turns away, work through the LNAV and VNAV engagement checks rather than importing the file again.