How to install PMDG liveries in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

On PC, install most PMDG liveries in Microsoft Flight Simulator by extracting the download and importing its .ptp file through PMDG Operations Center. If the download is a complete MSFS package instead, copy its package folder to Community. Restart the simulator, then select the livery on the exact matching aircraft variant.

Which PMDG livery installation method should I use?

The supplied file type determines the correct installer; PMDG repaints are not all packaged alike.

A mistake we see constantly is copying an archive or .ptp file into Community. An archive utility extracts the outer download, but it is not a substitute PMDG livery extractor: leave the resulting .ptp intact so Operations Center can unpack and register it.

Check the simulator generation, PMDG product and exact airframe before installing. Passenger, freighter, business-jet and engine variants may use separate liveries, and a similarly named aircraft from another developer is not compatible.

How do I install a PMDG .ptp livery?

For repaint packages, Operations Center acts as the PMDG livery installer and livery manager.

1. Verify the base aircraft. The matching PMDG aircraft must already be installed, enabled and recognised by Operations Center.
2. Extract the download. Extract the archive to a temporary folder and locate the .ptp file. Do not import the ZIP unless its instructions explicitly identify it as the installable package.
3. Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. This avoids locked files and ensures that MSFS indexes the repaint at its next launch.
4. Open PMDG Operations Center. Allow its product information to load, then select the correct simulator generation and installed aircraft family. Our guide to selecting the simulator, aircraft and package path in Operations Center covers product-detection problems.
5. Open Livery Utilities. It may appear under Aircraft and Liveries; exact menu wording varies between Operations Center releases.
6. Import the repaint. Choose Install from PTP or the equivalent import command, select the extracted file and wait for confirmation. If the repaint is already listed among the available liveries, use its install control instead.
7. Check the matching variant. Launch MSFS, select the exact PMDG model and open its livery selector. A 737-800 repaint, for example, will not appear under a 737-700.

Can I install a .ptp file without Operations Center?

No. A .ptp file is a proprietary PMDG repaint package, not a standard Community package. Renaming it, opening it with an archive utility or dropping it into Community will not create a working livery. Without Operations Center, use a separately supplied Community-format or in-simulator package that explicitly supports your aircraft and simulator.

How do I install a manually packaged PMDG livery?

A standard MSFS livery package goes in Community when its package root contains manifest.json and layout.json.

1. Extract the archive.
2. Find the actual package folder. Open any outer folders until the two package files are directly inside one folder.
3. Copy that complete folder to Community. Do not copy only the texture folder or place it inside PMDG's base aircraft package.
4. Restart MSFS. Select the aircraft variant for which the repaint was made.

The active Community location depends on the Packages path chosen by MSFS, so Steam and Microsoft Store assumptions are not always reliable. Follow our instructions for locating the active Community folder and checking its package structure if needed.

Why is my PMDG livery not showing in MSFS?

A missing PMDG livery usually targets the wrong variant, was installed by the wrong method or sits at the wrong folder level.

• Wrong aircraft variant: match the exact model, passenger or cargo configuration, engine option where applicable, and simulator release named by the repaint author.
• Wrong simulator or location: MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 use separate package locations. Select the correct simulator in Operations Center and use that installation's active Community folder.
• Nested package: Community should contain the folder that directly holds manifest.json and layout.json, not an extra download folder.
• Simulator left running: close and reopen MSFS after installing the repaint.
• Duplicate packages: remove older manual and Operations Center copies before reinstalling. Packages with the same identity can conflict or produce duplicate entries.
• Missing or incompatible base aircraft: confirm that the required PMDG model is installed and recognised. A major aircraft or simulator change may require a rebuilt repaint.
• Pink, blank or incomplete textures: these usually indicate missing texture references, an incomplete package or an incompatible release. Reinstall the correct version rather than copying texture files between variants.

If the format and aircraft are correct but the repaint remains absent, use our diagnostic checks for missing or broken liveries. Simmers keeping both simulator generations installed can prevent cross-version conflicts by separating and organising their MSFS livery packages.

Can I install PMDG liveries on Xbox or PlayStation?

Downloaded .ptp and Community-folder liveries cannot be imported on consoles because they do not run PMDG Operations Center or expose the required package folders. Xbox Series X|S users, and PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro users running MSFS 2024, can install only compatible content offered through the simulator. MSFS 2020 was never released on PlayStation.

How do I update or remove a PMDG livery?

Remove a .ptp-installed repaint through Operations Center's Livery Utilities, then import its replacement. For a manual package, close MSFS and delete the complete livery folder from Community before adding the new version. Do not retain old and new copies under different folder names.