Install AI traffic aircraft in FSX or Steam Edition, connect models and liveries to traffic BGLs, and fix aircraft that do not appear.
To install AI traffic aircraft in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, place each complete aircraft folder in SimObjects\Airplanes, then install or compile a traffic BGL that references the aircraft’s exact title= entry. Restart FSX, raise the relevant traffic slider, and check airport parking if nothing appears.
What does an AI traffic aircraft installation include?
An FSX AI traffic installation has two separate parts: the aircraft files and the traffic instructions. Installing the model alone does not create flights.
- Complete AI aircraft: Normally contains
aircraft.cfg, an AIR file, one or more model folders and at least one texture folder. - Repaint only: Contains a texture folder and usually a new
[fltsim.x]entry, but requires the specified base AI model. - Traffic data: A compiled BGL containing routes, times and aircraft references. This tells FSX when and where to use the installed model.
Our explanation of how AI models, liveries, schedules and BGLs work together covers the complete airline traffic workflow.
How do I install an AI aircraft manually?
Install the AI model under the simulator’s SimObjects\Airplanes folder and keep the supplied folder structure intact.
| FSX edition | Common simulator location |
|---|---|
| FSX boxed | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X |
| FSX: Steam Edition | C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX |
Your location may differ if FSX or Steam was installed to another drive or library. In either edition, the destination inside the actual simulator folder is SimObjects\Airplanes.
- Close FSX. Extract the download to a temporary folder rather than opening or copying files directly from the archive.
- Identify the aircraft folder. Open it and confirm that
aircraft.cfgis directly inside. A correct result looks likeSimObjects\Airplanes\AI_Aircraft_Name\aircraft.cfg, not a doubled folder such asAI_Aircraft_Name\AI_Aircraft_Name\aircraft.cfg. - Copy the complete folder. Place it in
SimObjects\Airplanes. Do not use an FS2004-style rootAircraftfolder. - Handle repaints differently. If the download is only a livery, install its texture folder inside the required base aircraft and add the supplied
[fltsim.x]block to that aircraft’s existingaircraft.cfg. Number the sections consecutively and do not replace the entire configuration file. - Preserve the aircraft title. The
title=value in each repaint entry must be unique. If a supplied traffic BGL was compiled for that title, do not rename it: spaces and punctuation must agree with the aircraft reference used by the traffic file. - Install additional components as directed. Effects belong in the simulator’s
Effectsfolder, not insideAirplanes. Older automatic installers may point to the boxed FSX location even when Steam Edition is installed, so verify their destination first. Our FSX aircraft folders and add-on installation reference explains the associated paths. - Install the traffic BGL. A supplied traffic file must be placed in an active scenery folder; many packages use
Scenery\World\scenery. Follow the package’s instructions where they specify another active scenery area. - Restart and test FSX. Raise Airline traffic density. Also raise General aviation traffic density if the schedule is defined as GA, then load the correct airport at the scheduled simulator day and time.
Does installing the aircraft make traffic appear?
No—an installed AI model remains unused until a traffic schedule calls its exact title= value. A model or repaint download may deliberately contain no routes.
For a model-only download, install a compatible traffic package or create schedules and compile them into a BGL. See our guide to building and compiling custom FSX AI schedules rather than copying uncompiled source lists into a scenery folder.
Each flight plan also has a traffic-percentage threshold. A flight assigned to a higher percentage than your FSX traffic slider will not spawn, even when every file is installed correctly.
Why is my installed AI aircraft not appearing?
Most missing AI aircraft are caused by a title mismatch, an inactive traffic BGL, low traffic settings or unsuitable airport parking.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| No flights use the aircraft | Compare the traffic plan’s aircraft reference with the exact title= line in aircraft.cfg. Confirm that the BGL is in an active scenery folder. |
| Only some liveries appear | Check the affected entry’s model=, texture= and sim= values. Each must match the corresponding folder suffix or AIR filename. |
| Traffic appears only at high settings | The schedule has a high traffic-percentage value. Increase the appropriate FSX traffic slider or recompile the plan with a lower threshold. |
| Aircraft never parks at a particular airport | The airport may lack a parking space large enough for the model or compatible with its parking type and airline codes. |
| All FSX-format traffic disappears | Look for an older FS2004-format traffic BGL. Legacy traffic files can suppress FSX-format traffic and should be converted or removed. |
| Model is invisible or untextured | Check for a missing base model, incorrect texture reference or an FS2004 model that is incompatible with the selected FSX graphics mode. |
A common mistake we see is testing at an airport where the schedule has no flight at the selected simulator time. If the basic checks fail, use our diagnostic checks for missing FSX AI models and traffic files.
Why is the AI aircraft missing from the aircraft menu?
An AI-only model does not need to appear in FSX’s aircraft selection menu to work as traffic. Many AI models omit a usable cockpit, panel, sound set or menu information because they are optimised to be controlled by the simulator rather than flown by the user.
Test an AI aircraft through a known traffic schedule instead. Its absence from the flyable-aircraft menu is not, by itself, evidence of a failed installation.
Can I use an FS2004 AI aircraft in FSX?
Some FS2004 AI models work in FSX, but they are not equivalent to native FSX models and their traffic files need separate checking. Older models can show propeller, transparency or texture problems, particularly with FSX’s DirectX 10 Preview mode.
The model and the schedule are separate compatibility issues. Even when an FS2004 aircraft displays correctly, a legacy-format traffic BGL may interfere with native FSX traffic, so convert the schedule to FSX format or use an FSX-native traffic file.