Fix an MSFS 2024 add-on aircraft not showing: check the active Community folder, package nesting, dependencies, filters, Safe Mode and compatibility.
An installed aircraft add-on usually fails to appear in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 because it is in the wrong active Community folder, is nested one folder too deep, lacks package files at its root, needs a missing base aircraft, is disabled, or is incompatible. Correct the cause, then restart the simulator.
What causes an MSFS 2024 aircraft not to appear?
The exact symptom usually identifies which part of the installation has failed.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No manually installed add-ons appear | Wrong Community folder or Safe Mode | Confirm the active packages path and launch normally rather than in Safe Mode. |
| Only one aircraft is missing | Extra folder nesting, damaged files or incompatibility | Inspect its package structure and confirm that it supports MSFS 2024. |
| A livery or enhancement is missing | Required base aircraft is absent | Install or enable the exact aircraft and edition named by the add-on. |
| Marketplace aircraft is owned but unavailable | Content is disabled, not downloaded where required, or tied to another account | Check the simulator's library or content management screen and account entitlement. |
| Aircraft appears in Free Flight but not an activity | The activity restricts eligible aircraft | This is normal; test the aircraft through the unrestricted aircraft selector. |
How should the Community folder aircraft be structured?
A manually installed aircraft package must be extracted into the Community folder with its package files at the correct root level. Leaving the download compressed or copying its outer wrapper folder is the mistake we see most often.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The simulator scans packages during startup, so copying files while it is running may not refresh the aircraft list.
- Find the active Community folder. Do not assume that the first folder returned by Windows search is the one MSFS is using. Store versions, custom package locations and previous installations can create several folders. Our guide to finding the active Community path through UserCfg.opt explains how to verify it.
- Extract the archive. Do not place the ZIP, RAR or 7z file itself in Community.
- Inspect the package root. A normal package should resemble
Community\developer-aircraft\manifest.jsonandCommunity\developer-aircraft\layout.json. If those files are instead underCommunity\developer-aircraft\developer-aircraft\, move the inner package folder up one level. - Check for multiple packages. Some downloads contain separate aircraft, livery and dependency folders. Copy each actual package folder into Community rather than placing the enclosing download folder there.
- Remove older duplicates. Two releases of the same aircraft can share package names or identifiers and prevent either version loading correctly.
- Restart normally and clear aircraft filters. Search in Free Flight, reset manufacturer and category filters, and inspect the base aircraft's liveries or variants as well as the main aircraft tiles.
Community aircraft and simulator-managed Marketplace packages are stored differently. Our explanation of where MSFS aircraft files are actually located helps prevent moving or modifying the wrong package.
Why is a Marketplace or installer aircraft missing?
A Marketplace purchase or third-party installer can report success even though the aircraft is not enabled for the active MSFS 2024 installation.
- Marketplace content: Open the simulator's library or content management area and verify that the aircraft is owned, available to the active profile and enabled. Some content is streamed or simulator-managed, so it should not be copied manually into Community.
- External installer: Run it again and confirm that it targets Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 rather than an old MSFS 2020 packages path. If the installer offers a custom location, compare that location with the active Community folder.
- Safe Mode: After an abnormal shutdown, MSFS may offer Safe Mode. Manually installed Community content is deliberately excluded there, so relaunch in normal mode for the test.
- Account mismatch: Confirm that the simulator is using the profile and platform entitlement associated with the purchase.
- Console restrictions: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro cannot load manually copied PC Community packages. Console aircraft must be distributed for that platform through the simulator's supported content system.
Could the add-on be a livery rather than a complete aircraft?
Many downloads modify an existing aircraft and therefore do not create a new aircraft tile. Liveries, cockpit improvements, sound packs and flight-model modifications appear under—or operate through—the aircraft they were designed to extend.
Read the included documentation for a required default, Deluxe, Premium or separately purchased aircraft. A livery made for one developer's model will not normally work with another model of the same real-world aeroplane, and owning a similarly named aircraft is not enough.
Do MSFS 2020 aircraft work in MSFS 2024?
Some MSFS 2020 aircraft packages work in MSFS 2024, but compatibility is not automatic. Aircraft using older gauges, custom modules, legacy model behaviour or dependencies on modified default files may need a dedicated MSFS 2024 update.
If the folder structure is correct and the package still never appears, check whether the download explicitly supports MSFS 2024. Reinstalling the entire simulator will not make an incompatible package load, and deleting rolling cache data does not repair an aircraft package.
What should I try if the aircraft is still missing?
The fastest final test is to isolate the package from every other Community add-on.
- Move the existing contents of Community to a temporary folder outside the simulator packages directory.
- Return only the missing aircraft and every dependency supplied with it.
- Launch MSFS 2024 normally and search for it in Free Flight with all aircraft filters cleared.
- If it appears, restore other packages in small groups until the conflict returns.
- If it remains absent, download a clean copy, repeat the extraction, and verify that it is an MSFS 2024-compatible release.
For a broader verification of package roots, Marketplace content and duplicate installations, use our complete MSFS aircraft installation checklist.