How do I import and start a SimBrief flight plan in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 using Navigraph and the EFB?
To import and start a SimBrief flight plan in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, we first create the route in SimBrief, make sure Navigraph is linked to the same account and AIRAC cycle, then pull the plan into the in-game EFB. After that, we check the route, load the aircraft, transfer or verify it in the avionics, and activate the first leg before departure.
What you need before SimBrief import will work
Most failed imports come down to one of three things: the wrong account, mismatched navdata, or importing the route twice in two different places.
- Same account: the SimBrief flight must belong to the same account you have connected through Navigraph in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
- Matching AIRAC: if SimBrief and the simulator are using different navdata cycles, airways, SIDs, STARs or even waypoints may not match cleanly.
- One route source: decide whether the route is being driven mainly by the EFB, the world map, or the aircraft's own FMS import. Mixing all three can create duplicate waypoints, broken discontinuities or a route that looks correct in one place and wrong in another.
If your aircraft has a detailed airliner FMS, the EFB is often best used to fetch and review the SimBrief plan, while the final route may still need to be confirmed inside the aircraft's own avionics.
How do I import a SimBrief flight plan in the MSFS 2024 EFB?
- Create the flight in SimBrief
Build and generate the flight plan as normal in SimBrief, including departure airport, arrival airport, route, cruise level, fuel and payload assumptions. Wait until the operational flight plan is fully generated before trying to pull it into the simulator.
- Open Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and sign in to Navigraph
Load into the simulator and open the in-game EFB. If the EFB has a Navigraph or flight-planning sign-in prompt, make sure it is linked to the same account that your SimBrief plan belongs to.
- Find the SimBrief import option
In the EFB, open the flight-planning, dispatch or Navigraph section. The wording can vary a little by aircraft or interface update, but you are looking for an option to import, fetch or sync the latest SimBrief flight.
- Load the latest generated plan
Select the most recent SimBrief flight and import it. The EFB should populate the core route data such as origin, destination, route string and usually the planned runway procedures if the navdata matches.
- Review the route before accepting it
Check the departure runway, SID, STAR, approach, cruise altitude and alternate. This matters because SimBrief may have planned one runway, while live weather or the simulator's ATC may prefer another.
- Apply the plan to the aircraft workflow
Depending on the aircraft, the EFB may send the route directly to the avionics, or it may only display the operational flight data for you to enter or confirm manually in the FMC, MCDU or GPS. If there is a transfer or send-to-avionics option, use it once, not repeatedly.
EFB import, world map import or aircraft FMC: which should you use?
| Method | Best for | Main advantage | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| EFB + Navigraph/SimBrief | MSFS 2024 users who want an in-sim dispatch workflow | Keeps planning, route review and operational data together | Some aircraft still need the route or performance data confirmed in the avionics |
| World map route loading | Simple GA flights and stock workflows | Easy gate, runway and route setup before loading in | Can conflict with aircraft-level imports if you also pull the plan again in the cockpit |
| Aircraft FMC/MCDU SimBrief request | Complex airliners and study-level add-ons | Usually gives the cleanest route inside the aircraft's own nav system | Often requires manual performance setup even after the route imports |
How to start the imported flight plan properly
Importing the route is only half the job. To actually start and fly it, we need the navigation system to recognise the active leg and the aircraft to be configured for the planned departure.
- Spawn at the correct airport position
Choose the stand, gate or parking position that matches your departure if possible. If you appear on the wrong side of the airfield, your route is still valid, but your taxi and ATC flow will be less tidy.
- Confirm the route in the avionics
Once in the cockpit, open the aircraft's GPS, FMC or MCDU and verify that the origin, destination and route match the EFB. Pay particular attention to the SID, transition, STAR and approach, because these are the parts most likely to change or import imperfectly.
- Resolve any route discontinuities
Airliners may show a discontinuity between the SID, en-route segment and STAR. That is normal. If your aircraft requires it, clear or link the discontinuity in the FMC before departure so lateral navigation does not stop unexpectedly.
- Enter the missing performance data
Even with a good SimBrief import, many aircraft will still need manual entries for cost index, cruise altitude, fuel, zero fuel weight, reserve, take-off performance, flap setting and V-speeds. The route can load while the aircraft is still not ready for managed or LNAV/VNAV flight.
- Set the initial clearance and first altitude
If you are using the built-in ATC, request IFR clearance if appropriate and note the initial cleared altitude. If you are flying without ATC, set the altitude you intend to comply with for the departure and departure procedure.
- Activate or arm navigation correctly
For a G1000, G3000 or similar GA suite, make sure the flight plan is active and the CDI source is correct. For an airliner, arm LNAV or NAV according to that aircraft's normal procedure, but do not assume it will capture the route on the ground unless the first leg is valid and sequenced.
- Fly the departure and intercept the first leg
Some departures require heading mode initially before the aircraft can sensibly join the lateral path. Once airborne and in a stable configuration, engage NAV or LNAV when the aircraft is in a position to capture the route cleanly.
Why the route sometimes imports but does not fly correctly
The plan appears in the EFB but not in the cockpit
This usually means the EFB has imported the dispatch data, but the aircraft does not auto-load the route into its avionics. In that case, use the EFB as your reference and then either transfer the route using the aircraft's supported function or enter and verify it in the FMC or GPS.
The SID or STAR is missing
That is often an AIRAC mismatch. If SimBrief planned a procedure that your simulator navdata does not contain, the import may drop it, substitute something else, or leave a gap. Keeping your Navigraph data and simulator data aligned matters more here than anywhere else.
The route duplicates waypoints
This usually happens when we import through the world map and then import again through the EFB or aircraft FMC. The safest fix is to clear the route and load it once from the method you actually want to use.
ATC assigns a different runway
The simulator's ATC may choose a runway based on weather or its own traffic logic rather than the one SimBrief planned. If that happens, either accept the new runway and amend the SID or departure in the avionics, or keep the SimBrief runway and ignore the built-in ATC flow.
LNAV or NAV will not follow the route after take-off
Usually the first leg is not active, there is a discontinuity, the wrong navigation source is selected, or the aircraft is too far off the intended path for capture. Check the active waypoint, CDI source, leg sequencing and departure procedure logic before blaming the import itself.
Best practice for a clean SimBrief-to-EFB workflow
- Generate the SimBrief plan last, after you have settled on the airports, aircraft and weather assumptions.
- Import once, then verify everything before touching the FMC or GPS again.
- Cross-check runway procedures, because those are the items most likely to differ between planning and live conditions.
- Use the EFB for operational data, not just route transfer. Fuel, weights and basic flight-plan context are often as important as the route itself.
- Expect some manual setup in advanced aircraft, especially for performance pages and route discontinuities.
If you want the shortest possible workflow
The cleanest method is usually this: generate the flight in SimBrief, open the MSFS 2024 EFB, sign into Navigraph, import the latest SimBrief plan, verify the route and procedures, then load or confirm it in the aircraft's avionics and activate the first leg before taxi. If the aircraft supports direct SimBrief import in its own FMC, use either that or the EFB transfer, but not both.
If you are also looking for aircraft, utilities or simulator add-ons that support more realistic flight-planning workflows, we keep our Microsoft Flight Simulator files in the Fly Away Simulation library at https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/.