Compare KATL scenery add-ons for MSFS 2020, including Orbx, ImagineSim, FeelThere and Microsoft's free airport, with conflict advice.
For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, the main full-airport KATL add-ons are Orbx KATL, ImagineSim KATL Atlanta and FeelThere KATL. Every edition can also use Microsoft’s handcrafted Hartsfield-Jackson from the free USA World Update. Run only one complete KATL replacement to avoid duplicate terminals, ground textures and airport data.
Which KATL airport scenery options are available?
The established choices include Microsoft’s free handcrafted airport and three commercial replacements released for MSFS 2020.
| Scenery | Type | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft handcrafted KATL | Free first-party scenery | A capable baseline available to every MSFS 2020 edition through the USA World Update. |
| Orbx KATL | Commercial full replacement | A comprehensive third-party rendition covering the terminals, aprons and wider airport footprint. |
| ImagineSim KATL Atlanta | Commercial full replacement | An alternative interpretation from a developer with previous Atlanta airport releases. |
| FeelThere KATL | Commercial full replacement | Another standalone rendition for simmers comparing modelling, layout and performance priorities. |
| Freeware KATL enhancements | Community modifications | Useful for lighter corrections or additions, although compatibility and maintenance vary by file. |
Microsoft’s handcrafted KATL was originally delivered through the USA World Update rather than Premium Deluxe. If you only see generic terminals, open Content Manager and confirm that the relevant USA scenery content is installed and updated.
Freeware projects can change or disappear between simulator updates. Check our MSFS freeware scenery library for available airport enhancements, and read each file’s requirements before combining it with Microsoft or commercial scenery.
Which KATL add-on should I choose?
The right choice depends on whether you need a free airport, a complete visual replacement or support for a particular platform.
- Start with Microsoft’s KATL if you want a free, straightforward airport or need to judge performance before installing something heavier.
- Compare Orbx, ImagineSim and FeelThere if terminal modelling, apron detail, markings, jetway implementation or night lighting matter more than retaining the first-party rendition.
- Check the supported simulator explicitly. A product listing that mentions only Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 should not be assumed to include an MSFS 2020 build or licence.
- Check the delivery platform. PC can use external installers and Community-folder packages. Xbox can install only content distributed through the in-simulator Marketplace, and a PC release does not guarantee an Xbox version.
- Consider performance before terminal interiors. Large hubs already carry substantial aircraft, traffic and glass-cockpit workloads. Detailed interiors may add cost without improving the view from the flight deck.
Atlanta airport scenery and Atlanta city scenery are separate layers. KATL packages replace the airport footprint, while Atlanta’s official city photogrammetry coverage controls much of the surrounding urban area.
Can I install more than one KATL scenery package?
No—two complete KATL replacements should not be active together, even if one appears above the other in the scenery order.
Typical conflict symptoms include terminals occupying the same space, double taxiway signs, floating jetways, uneven aprons, vegetation on paved areas and parking positions that disagree with the visible gates. A smaller enhancement may work with the Microsoft airport, but only when its instructions explicitly describe that arrangement.
- Check Content Manager for Microsoft, Marketplace and developer-supplied KATL packages.
- Inspect the Community folder for another Atlanta airport, airport enhancement, mesh package or outdated compatibility file.
- Move competing packages completely outside Community. Merely adding “disabled” to a folder name does not stop MSFS from loading a valid package inside it.
- Activate one KATL rendition, restart the simulator and test several terminal areas before restoring other local scenery.
Some third-party airports are designed to exclude Microsoft’s handcrafted buildings automatically; others instruct you to remove that optional airport through Content Manager. Follow the package-specific instruction rather than deleting files from the simulator’s core folders.
How do I fix terrain or duplicate buildings at KATL?
Most KATL elevation and duplication problems come from overlapping airport packages, old mesh, incompatible city scenery or the wrong installation build.
First test KATL with only the chosen airport active. If Orbx KATL produces cliffs, sunken aprons or misplaced objects, work through our Orbx KATL terrain and conflict checks, which cover installation channels and scenery overlap without requiring a full simulator reinstall.
Photogrammetry can make distant buildings look rough while the data streams in, but it should not create duplicate airport terminals. Keep city photogrammetry enabled during normal use; disable it temporarily only when isolating a scenery conflict outside the airport boundary.