Learn how to install FS Traffic in MSFS 2020, set the correct traffic options, generate airline traffic and fix missing, duplicate or static aircraft.
Install FS Traffic for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 with the installer supplied for your edition, making sure both the traffic engine and aircraft fleet reach the active MSFS package location. Then disable MSFS’s built-in AI/live traffic, load a flight, and let FS Traffic generate schedule-based aircraft through its in-sim toolbar panel.
How do I install FS Traffic in MSFS 2020?
FS Traffic needs both its traffic module and aircraft fleet; installing only one is the most common reason for an empty airport or invisible aircraft.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Do not install or update the add-on while the simulator is running.
- Run the installer for your edition. On PC, confirm that it has detected the active MSFS 2020 packages location. Do not assume the first
Communityfolder found on the computer is the one your present installation uses. - Install every supplied component. This normally includes the traffic module and the aircraft fleet. The fleet is large because it contains the models and liveries displayed by the injector.
- Check Marketplace content separately. If your copy is delivered through the in-sim Marketplace, use Content Manager to confirm that all FS Traffic packages are downloaded and installed. Xbox editions must be installed this way because Xbox has no accessible
Communityfolder. - Restart MSFS 2020 normally. If the simulator offers Safe Mode after a crash, choose normal mode; Safe Mode can prevent third-party packages from loading.
For a manual or misdirected installation, our guide to checking the active Community folder and MSFS package structure explains how to identify the correct path. A valid package root normally contains files such as manifest.json and layout.json; an extra nested folder can stop MSFS detecting it.
Which MSFS 2020 traffic settings should I use?
Turn off competing MSFS traffic sources before using FS Traffic, then control airline volume from FS Traffic itself.
| Setting or source | Recommended starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Traffic Type | Off | Prevents built-in offline or real-time AI from appearing alongside FS Traffic. |
| Ground Aircraft Density | 0 | Removes generic static aircraft that can occupy gates needed by injected traffic. |
| Other traffic injector | Disabled | Two injectors can duplicate flights and compete for parking positions. |
| Multiplayer aircraft | Optional; disable while testing | Multiplayer is separate from AI traffic, but it can make duplication and parking problems harder to diagnose. |
Menu wording can vary slightly with simulator updates, but these options are found under the general traffic and online-data settings. Once FS Traffic works correctly, multiplayer can be restored if you want to see other human-controlled aircraft.
How do I generate FS Traffic flights?
FS Traffic reads the departure, destination and selected simulation time from your flight, then injects matching schedule-based traffic around the relevant airports.
- Create the flight on the World Map. Select a departure airport, destination and intended departure time. A complete route helps the add-on prepare traffic for the arrival airport later in the flight.
- Start from a gate or parking stand. A large airline airport during an active daytime period is best for the first test.
- Open the FS Traffic toolbar panel. If its icon is hidden, open the toolbar customisation controls and enable the panel.
- Allow the initial injection to finish. Traffic generation normally begins after the flight loads. If the panel reports no traffic, or you changed the airport or time after loading, use its generate or regenerate control once.
- Check the recognised destination. If the panel has not picked up the arrival airport, correct it before regenerating traffic.
Do not press regenerate repeatedly while the first injection is still being processed. Large hubs take longer to populate, and each reset delays a useful result.
Where supplied, the desktop Control Centre is mainly for managing aircraft and livery assignments. It does not normally need to remain open throughout every flight. Close MSFS before changing fleet data, then restart it so the revised mappings are loaded.
Is FS Traffic live traffic?
FS Traffic is timetable-based traffic, not a feed of aircraft positions moving in real time.
Its airlines, routes and approximate operating times come from installed schedule data, so a generated flight does not necessarily match the aircraft presently flying that route. Our explanation of schedule-based, live and injected flight-simulator traffic covers the practical differences.
Choose FS Traffic when you want consistent airline models, liveries and scheduled airport activity. Choose built-in live traffic when matching real-world movements matters more, but do not run both as primary traffic sources. Internet access may still be required for installation, entitlement checks or updates even though the traffic itself is based on installed schedules.
Why is FS Traffic not showing aircraft?
Missing FS Traffic aircraft usually indicate an incomplete fleet installation, the wrong package path, a hidden toolbar module or an airport and time with little scheduled activity.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No FS Traffic toolbar icon | Core module not loaded, wrong package location or Safe Mode | Verify the active package path, enable the toolbar panel and restart MSFS in normal mode. |
| Panel works but no aircraft appear | Fleet missing, injection still processing or sparse schedule | Confirm every fleet package is installed, wait for processing, then test once at a major hub during daytime. |
| Duplicate or overlapping aircraft | Built-in live/offline traffic, static ground aircraft or another injector | Disable competing traffic and set Ground Aircraft Density to zero. |
| Blank, generic or incorrect liveries | Incomplete fleet files or stale livery assignments | Repair the fleet installation and review mappings in the Control Centre where available. |
| Aircraft park but do not move | No usable stands or taxi paths, scenery conflict or excessive density | Test a default airport, lower traffic volume and confirm the airport has suitable airline parking. |
| Severe frame-rate loss | Too many injected aircraft at a complex hub | Reduce FS Traffic’s aircraft quantity or operating range before lowering unrelated graphics settings. |
A custom airport can look correct while having unsuitable gate types, parking radii or taxi links underneath. Testing the same setup at a default airport separates an FS Traffic installation problem from an airport-scenery problem. For broader checks, use our diagnostic checklist for missing or duplicated MSFS traffic.
Can FS Traffic run with another traffic injector?
Run only one primary AI traffic injector at a time.
Multiple injectors can create duplicate flights, exhaust available parking and repeatedly remove one another’s aircraft. Livery libraries may sometimes be shared if their documentation explicitly supports it, but their injection functions should remain disabled while FS Traffic is active.