How do I install aircraft locally in MSFS 2024?

To install aircraft locally in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PC, extract the downloaded archive, find the aircraft package folder containing manifest.json and layout.json, and copy that folder into the simulator’s active Community folder. Restart MSFS 2024, then check the aircraft selector. Console editions do not support Community-folder sideloading.

How do I install a downloaded aircraft in MSFS 2024?

A local PC aircraft installation is normally a package-copy operation; you should not alter the simulator’s managed aircraft files.

1. Close MSFS 2024. This prevents the simulator from reading an incomplete package while files are being copied.
2. Extract the download. Do not place a ZIP, RAR or 7Z archive directly in Community. Use Windows’ extraction function or a suitable archive utility first.
3. Find the package root. Open the extracted folders until you reach the folder containing manifest.json and layout.json. That folder, not every folder above it, is the aircraft package.
4. Locate the active Community folder. MSFS 2024 can store packages on a custom drive, and its folder is not necessarily beside the main application. If there is any doubt, use UserCfg.opt and its InstalledPackagesPath entry; our guide to identifying the active MSFS 2024 package location covers this without relying on a guessed default path.
5. Copy the complete package folder. Place it directly inside Community. Do not copy it into a managed or Official content folder.
6. Start MSFS 2024 and select the aircraft. Search by its displayed aircraft or manufacturer name, clear restrictive filters and check whether the download added a separate aircraft, a variant or only a livery.

If the download provides its own installer, use that instead of manually extracting its internal files. Confirm that the installer targets MSFS 2024 and the correct packages location, particularly when MSFS 2020 is also installed.

What should the aircraft folder structure look like?

The package root must normally expose manifest.json and layout.json immediately inside it. A typical structure resembles Community\developer-aircraft-name\manifest.json, with aircraft data below that package folder.

A mistake we see constantly is an extra directory level such as Community\download-name\developer-aircraft-name\manifest.json. Move developer-aircraft-name up one level when the outer folder contains only documentation or another package folder. Our detailed aircraft package-install checklist explains how to distinguish the archive wrapper from the actual package root.

Some downloads contain several valid package folders, each with its own manifest and layout files. Copy each required package separately. This commonly happens when an aircraft includes an additional library, optional variant or livery package.

Why does the aircraft not appear in MSFS 2024?

An aircraft that does not appear is usually archived, nested too deeply, installed in the wrong Community folder or dependent on content that is missing.

• Wrong Community folder: MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 use separate package locations, and custom installations can leave old Community folders elsewhere on the PC.
• Archive not extracted: The simulator cannot load an aircraft package while it remains inside a compressed archive.
• Extra folder level: Search the installed folder for manifest.json. If it is buried beneath a wrapper directory, move the actual package root directly into Community.
• Livery rather than aircraft: A livery appears under its required base aircraft. It will not create a new flyable aircraft, and it cannot work if that base model is absent.
• Missing dependency: Some aircraft require a separately supplied library, avionics package or base aircraft. Install every required package listed in the included documentation.
• Compatibility problem: An older MSFS 2020 aircraft may be visible but partially broken, or it may fail to load at all. Obtain a build explicitly declared compatible with MSFS 2024.
• Safe Mode: When MSFS starts in Safe Mode after a crash, third-party Community packages are intentionally disabled. Restart in normal mode before judging the installation.

Do MSFS 2020 aircraft work in MSFS 2024?

Some MSFS 2020 aircraft work in MSFS 2024, but compatibility should never be assumed. Simple aircraft tend to transfer more easily than packages using custom avionics, external utilities, installers or WASM modules.

Choose a native MSFS 2024 package when one is available. Do not overwrite core simulator files or manually edit a manifest in an attempt to force compatibility; that can hide the real dependency or code problem without making the aircraft functional.

Can local aircraft be installed on Xbox or PlayStation?

Community-folder aircraft can only be sideloaded on PC because the console editions do not expose the required package folders.

What should I do if the new aircraft crashes MSFS 2024?

Remove the newly installed package first and confirm that MSFS 2024 starts normally without it.

If several packages were added together, move them out of Community and restore them in small batches until the faulty aircraft or dependency is identified. Then replace it with a compatible copy rather than editing its files. If the crash occurs only when choosing the model, follow our aircraft-selection crash troubleshooting steps.