SimBrief Dispatch does not run in MSFS 2020. Learn which SimBrief panel, aircraft integration or .pln import method to use instead.
You cannot install or use SimBrief Dispatch in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Dispatch is an MSFS 2024 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) app and depends on that simulator’s EFB framework, which MSFS 2020 does not have. In MSFS 2020, use aircraft-native SimBrief integration, a toolbar panel or import a SimBrief .pln flight plan instead.
Can SimBrief Dispatch run in MSFS 2020?
No. SimBrief Dispatch is not a conventional aircraft or scenery add-on that becomes compatible when copied into the Community folder. Its interface relies on systems built into MSFS 2024, and MSFS 2020 cannot load it as an EFB app or toolbar panel.
If you have copied a Dispatch package into the MSFS 2020 Community folder, remove it; changing its folder name or manifest will not make it work. Those using the newer simulator should follow the separate MSFS 2024 Dispatch download and setup instructions.
How do I use SimBrief in MSFS 2020 instead?
MSFS 2020 supports three practical SimBrief workflows, and the best choice depends on the aircraft and how much information you want available inside the simulator.
| Method | Choose it when | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft integration | Your aircraft has built-in SimBrief support | Retrieves the latest operational flight plan through the aircraft’s tablet, MCDU or FMC |
| Toolbar panel | You want to read the OFP without leaving the simulator | Displays SimBrief information through an MSFS 2020 toolbar add-on |
.pln import | The aircraft lacks direct integration | Loads the route into the MSFS 2020 World Map flight planner |
- Generate a fresh OFP: Create the route in SimBrief and generate the operational flight plan. Changes made afterwards are not included until you generate it again. Our complete SimBrief-to-MSFS flight-plan workflow covers aircraft selection, dispatch and export.
- Use native integration where available: Enter the SimBrief Pilot ID or username requested by the aircraft, then select its import or request function. The exact control varies between add-ons. FlyByWire pilots can use our A32NX and A380X connection steps.
- Install a toolbar panel if needed: Extract the compatible panel package into the active MSFS 2020 Community folder, start the simulator and open it from the in-flight toolbar. See our instructions for installing and connecting the SimBrief toolbar panel.
- Import a route manually: Export the Microsoft Flight Simulator
.plnformat, then use the World Map’s load function to open the file before starting the flight. - Check the result: Confirm the runway, SID, STAR, approach, fuel and payload in the aircraft. A route import does not guarantee that every dispatch value will be transferred.
Why does the imported SimBrief plan not match?
The usual causes are an old OFP, different navigation-data cycles or the MSFS World Map interpreting procedures differently from the aircraft’s avionics.
- Generate the OFP again after changing the route, runway or aircraft.
- Check that the account name or Pilot ID entered in the aircraft belongs to the account that generated the plan.
- Review discontinuities and departure or arrival procedures in the FMS before departure.
- Enter fuel and payload separately unless the aircraft explicitly imports them.
- Prefer the aircraft’s native SimBrief integration over a World Map import when flying a complex airliner.
Does SimBrief Downloader replace Dispatch?
No. SimBrief Downloader automates the saving of exported flight-plan files into folders used by supported simulators and add-ons. It does not add the Dispatch EFB interface to MSFS 2020, nor does it replace an aircraft’s own SimBrief integration or a toolbar panel.