Learn where to install GSX Pro airport and aircraft profiles in MSFS, verify the active profile and fix profiles that do not appear.
To install GSX Pro profiles in Microsoft Flight Simulator, extract the download and copy airport profiles to GSX’s roaming AppData profile folder, or aircraft profiles to the matching Virtuali Airplanes folder. Restart Couatl or MSFS; GSX then detects and applies the profile automatically when the matching airport or aircraft loads.
What type of GSX profile have you downloaded?
GSX profile downloads fall into two main categories, and putting one in the other category’s folder is a common reason they fail to appear.
| Profile type | Typical contents | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Airport profile | An .ini file, sometimes with supporting files | Parking stop positions, marshallers, pushback routes, vehicle placement, operators and walk-in gates |
| Aircraft profile | A folder containing gsx.cfg | Passenger and cargo doors, refuelling points, loaders, stairs and service positions |
Some authors distribute a complete MSFS add-on package instead. In that case, preserve its supplied folder structure and follow the included instructions rather than separating the files.
How do I install a GSX airport or aircraft profile?
Install profiles only after GSX Pro and Couatl are working correctly; our GSX Pro installation and update instructions cover that prerequisite.
- Extract the download. GSX cannot read a profile left inside a ZIP or other archive.
- Identify the profile type. Look for an airport
.inifile or an aircraft folder containinggsx.cfg. Check the supplied documentation if both are included. - Install an airport profile. Enter
%APPDATA%\Virtuali\GSX\MSFSin the Windows File Explorer address bar, then copy the profile and any supplied companion files into that folder. Do not rename the profile unless its author specifically instructs you to. - Install an aircraft profile. Open
%APPDATA%\Virtuali\Airplanesand copy the supplied aircraft folder there intact. The folder name must match the aircraft package GSX recognises. If the download contains onlygsx.cfg, use the target folder named by its author rather than guessing from the aircraft’s marketing name. - Protect existing changes. Back up a profile before replacing a file with the same name, particularly if you have already customised gates or service points in GSX.
- Reload GSX. Restart Couatl from the available GSX restart command, or close and reopen Microsoft Flight Simulator if that command is unavailable.
Do not place loose .ini or gsx.cfg files in the Community folder. The exception is a profile deliberately packaged as a complete MSFS add-on.
How do I use a GSX profile after installing it?
GSX loads matching profiles automatically; there is no separate import or activation menu.
- Load the exact aircraft variant covered by the aircraft profile.
- Start at the airport and scenery product for which the airport profile was created.
- Park or spawn at a stand included in that profile.
- Open GSX through the simulator toolbar or your assigned GSX key and request boarding, catering, refuelling, pushback or another service.
The profile positions the GSX equipment, but it does not bypass normal service conditions such as setting the parking brake, stopping the engines or opening the required doors. Our guide to operating GSX ground services explains that workflow.
Aircraft with their own electronic flight bag or GSX integration options can require extra configuration. The FlyByWire A32NX and GSX setup is one example where door, boarding and fuel synchronisation matter as much as the profile itself.
How can I tell whether the GSX profile loaded?
The quickest check is to compare a known customised stand or aircraft service point with the profile author’s description.
At an airport, open GSX’s airport-position customisation screen and inspect the expected gate. For an aircraft profile, open the aircraft customisation screen and check the door and service-point locations. Default or obviously incorrect values usually mean GSX has loaded another profile or no matching profile at all.
Why is my GSX profile not showing or working?
Most missing-profile problems come from the wrong folder, an incompatible scenery variant or an aircraft package-name mismatch.
- The files are still compressed: extract the archive before copying anything.
- The profile is in Community: move loose airport and aircraft configuration files to their correct roaming AppData locations.
- The airport does not match: a profile made for one third-party airport may not work with the stock airport or another developer’s version of the same ICAO.
- The scenery has changed: an airport update can alter parking identifiers, stand geometry or paths. Use a profile made for that scenery version or correct the affected positions in GSX.
- Only some stands are customised: many profiles cover selected gates rather than every parking position.
- There are duplicate profiles: move obsolete copies for the same airport or aircraft out of the GSX folders, then restart Couatl.
- The aircraft folder is wrong: different variants of the same aircraft can use different internal package identities. Use a profile explicitly intended for the loaded variant.
- Services still refuse to start: the profile may be active, but the aircraft is not in the required state. Check brakes, engines, doors and any aircraft-specific GSX integration setting.
Do GSX profiles work in MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?
The basic profile installation method is shared by supported PC installations, but profile compatibility is not guaranteed across simulator, scenery and aircraft versions. Use an airport profile made for your installed scenery and an aircraft profile made for the exact aircraft variant.
For simulator-specific limitations, see our GSX Pro compatibility guidance for MSFS 2024. GSX Pro depends on external Windows software, so neither GSX nor its custom profiles can be installed on the Xbox or PlayStation versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator.