Find a KATL airport diagram and gate map, then match Atlanta’s runways, taxiways, concourses and scenery gates in your flight simulator.
For flight simulation and Aviation & Real-World Flying reference, get the official KATL airport diagram from our charts page, then use your installed scenery map or an airport add-on for individual gates. The FAA diagram is best for runways, taxiways and holding points; gate labels and airline assignments depend on the installed KATL scenery.
Which KATL map should you use?
Use the FAA airport diagram for real-world movement areas and the installed-scenery layout for gates and ramp geometry at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
| Source | Best used for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| FAA airport diagram | Runways, named taxiways, hotspots, holding positions and airport orientation | Not intended to show every gate, parking lead-in line or airline assignment |
| Installed airport or moving map | The taxiways, ramps and parking positions actually rendered by the simulator | May represent an older layout or differ because of an add-on |
| Scenery documentation or airport facility file | Gate names, parking sizes, airline codes and cargo stands | Applies only to that particular scenery package |
A public-facing terminal map is useful for understanding the concourses, but it is not a cockpit taxi chart. It may omit taxiway names, ramp exits, holding points and the painted lead-in lines needed to reach a stand.
How do I use the KATL airport diagram while taxiing?
Plan from the gate area to the first named taxiway, then follow the assigned taxi route while checking the chart against signs and markings in the simulator.
- Check the chart edition. Look at the effective or issue date printed on the sheet. Older default scenery may not match a newer real-world diagram.
- Orient the airport. KATL has five broadly east–west runways, with the passenger terminal and midfield concourses between the northern and southern runway groups. Confirm the departure runway before tracing a route.
- Locate the simulated gate. Use the simulator’s parking-selection list, scenery map or moving map. Do not infer a gate solely from the airline because assignments can change and simulator metadata may be fictional or outdated.
- Trace the cleared taxiways. Mark every turn, hotspot, runway crossing and hold-short point. Our airport-diagram symbol and hotspot guide explains the markings that matter.
- Verify the route outside the chart. Match each taxiway sign and centreline to the clearance. Ramp alleys near the gates may not have the same labels or level of detail as movement-area taxiways; these methods for finding taxiways and gates with signs and moving maps cover that final connection.
- Reverse the process after landing. Clear the runway completely, obtain or choose a gate, identify its concourse, and trace a route from the taxiway network into the correct ramp.
At an airport with several parallel runways, confusing a runway with a taxiway or crossing the wrong runway is the serious error to avoid. Never cross a runway holding position without the appropriate clearance when operating with ATC.
How are KATL concourses and gates organised?
KATL’s passenger complex runs broadly west to east through Concourses T, A, B, C, D, E and F.
The Domestic Terminal is at the western end, while the International Terminal is associated with the eastern end near Concourse F. A gate designation normally combines its concourse letter with a number, but the exact numbering and parking positions visible from the cockpit depend on the scenery.
Concourses E and F include international-capable facilities, although that does not mean every flight there is international. Cargo and maintenance parking are separate from the main passenger concourses, so a freighter should use a compatible cargo stand rather than an airline passenger gate.
Gate suitability also depends on aircraft size. Simulator ATC or a parking menu may reject a stand when its programmed parking radius is smaller than the aircraft, even if the stand looks large enough visually.
Why does the KATL chart not match my simulator?
A mismatch usually means the chart, scenery and airport facility data represent different revisions of Atlanta.
- Old default scenery: use the installed airport as the physical truth for taxiing, while treating the newer chart as the real-world reference. Do not taxi through buildings or across grass to force a charted route that the scenery lacks.
- Conflicting airport files: two KATL packages can produce duplicate buildings, overlapping taxi signs or displaced parking starts. Keep one airport layout active and disable the conflicting package.
- Incorrect parking metadata: airline codes, gate types and parking radii influence where simulator ATC sends an aircraft. A visually correct gate can still be unavailable because its underlying data is unsuitable.
- Terminal map used as a taxi chart: passenger maps show concourse relationships but rarely contain enough airside detail for safe ground movement.
For FSX or Prepar3D, an alternative KATL AFCAD with ramp and parking assignments can improve the stock airport layout. Back up or disable any conflicting KATL facility file first. An FSX or Prepar3D AFCAD is not a compatible airport update for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or X-Plane.