How do I install FlyByWire A32NX in MSFS 2020?

To install the FlyByWire A32NX in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, close the PC simulator, open the FlyByWire Installer, select the A32NX stable branch, confirm the active Community folder, and install. Remove any previous manual A32NX folder first, then restart MSFS and select the FlyByWire aircraft.

How to install the FlyByWire A32NX with the Installer

The FlyByWire Installer, sometimes written as the “Fly By Wire Installer”, is the preferred installation method because it manages the package structure, branches, updates and removal. It is a desktop utility rather than an option inside MSFS Content Manager.

Before starting, check these points:

• Use the PC version of MSFS 2020. The Installer and Community-folder method do not work on Xbox consoles.
• Close MSFS completely. Return to the Windows desktop rather than leaving the simulator at its main menu.
• Identify the active packages location. This may be a custom folder if you moved MSFS or its packages to another drive.
• Remove old manual A32NX copies. Do not leave a manual package beside an installer-managed installation.

1. Open the FlyByWire Installer. Select the A32NX product for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
2. Choose a branch. Stable is the sensible starting point for most users. Development and experimental builds change more frequently and are intended for people who need their newer work.
3. Confirm the MSFS 2020 packages path. The Installer normally detects it. If it does not, choose the location containing the active Community folder used by MSFS 2020, not an old installation or another simulator version.
4. Install the aircraft. Let the Installer finish without moving, renaming or combining the files afterwards.
5. Start MSFS 2020. Open the aircraft selector and search for FlyByWire or A32NX. The FlyByWire aircraft should appear as its own entry; the stock Airbus A320neo remaining in the list is normal.
6. Load a simple test flight. Confirm that the FlyByWire cockpit and electronic flight bag appear before restoring any Airbus liveries or cockpit modifications you removed.

If the correct Community folder is uncertain, the active UserCfg.opt file contains an InstalledPackagesPath entry. Its Community subfolder is the one MSFS reads. This is more reliable than assuming a default path, especially after moving the simulator between drives.

Which A32NX branch should I install?

Install Stable unless you have a specific reason to use a faster-changing branch.

Do not install several branches as separate Community packages. Switch branch through the Installer so only one A32NX installation is active.

Can I install the A32NX manually in the Community folder?

Yes, but a manual installation works only when the extracted package is placed at the correct folder depth and no installer-managed copy remains.

1. Close MSFS and remove the previous A32NX package. Delete only the FlyByWire package from Community; do not remove the stock Airbus package from the Official folder.
2. Download and extract the aircraft. Our A32NX package download and extraction notes cover the manual archive method.
3. Find the actual package root. Files such as manifest.json and layout.json should be directly inside the A32NX package folder.
4. Place that package directly inside Community. The correct structure is Community → A32NX package → manifest.json. An extra download-wrapper folder can prevent detection.
5. Restart MSFS and check the aircraft selector. Do not leave the ZIP archive in Community.

The same folder-depth rule applies to other aircraft; our guide to installing MSFS aircraft packages explains the wider Community-folder workflow without duplicating it here.

Why does the A32NX not appear (“não aparece”) in MSFS 2020?

An A32NX that does not appear is usually installed in the wrong Community folder, buried one folder too deep, filtered out in the aircraft selector or conflicting with an older copy.

1. Close MSFS before changing anything. Installing while the simulator is open can leave its package index out of step until the next full restart.
2. Verify the active Community folder. If MSFS 2020 and another simulator installation are both present, make sure the Installer targeted the MSFS 2020 packages location.
3. Check the package depth. For a manual installation, manifest.json and layout.json must be inside the package folder immediately below Community.
4. Remove duplicate A32NX folders. An old manual version, obsolete package or second branch can interfere with the new installation.
5. Clear aircraft-selector filters. Search for FlyByWire or A32NX and check that no favourites, manufacturer or aircraft-type filter is hiding it.
6. Test without other add-ons. Move other Community packages temporarily to a holding folder outside the MSFS packages tree, leaving only the A32NX installed.
7. Reinstall the Stable branch. Remove the A32NX through the Installer, check that no manual copy remains, and install it again with MSFS closed.

The aircraft appears, but the cockpit or displays are wrong

Black displays at a parking stand do not automatically indicate a failed installation: a cold-and-dark A32NX needs electrical power before its screens start. Our instructions for setting up cold-and-dark and turnaround states explain the intended start conditions.

A missing electronic flight bag, partly default cockpit, absent textures or systems that never initialise points more strongly to stale files or an add-on conflict. Remove old default-A320 cockpit modifications and incompatible liveries, test with only the A32NX in Community, then perform a clean Stable installation if the fault remains.

How do I update or remove the FlyByWire A32NX?

Update or remove an installer-managed A32NX through the FlyByWire Installer while MSFS is closed.

• For an update: select the installed branch and let the Installer replace its files. Do not copy a manual archive over the top.
• To change branch: use the Installer’s branch controls rather than keeping parallel Stable and Development folders.
• For removal: use the Installer’s uninstall option, then check that no older manual A32NX package remains in Community.
• For a manual installation: remove its complete package folder from Community. Leave all stock aircraft in the Official folder untouched.