Why do add-on aircraft stop working after an MSFS update?
Fix add-on aircraft after an MSFS update: check Marketplace updates, compatibility, Safe Mode, dependencies, package paths and clean reinstalls.
Add-on aircraft usually stop working after a Microsoft Flight Simulator update because simulator interfaces changed, a required dependency is outdated, packages conflict, or MSFS is reading a different content path. Install the aircraft’s compatible update, test it alone, and reinstall it cleanly; if no supported build exists, keep it disabled.
Why does an MSFS update break add-on aircraft?
An MSFS update can make an installed aircraft unusable without deleting it because the aircraft depends on simulator code, package records and other components that may have changed.
- Incompatible custom code: complex aircraft often use WASM modules, HTML or JavaScript instruments, custom avionics and simulator interfaces. A major Sim Update can require the aircraft developer to rebuild or revise these components.
- Missing dependencies: the aircraft may require a shared avionics package, library, base aircraft or separately installed module. Updating only the main aircraft is not always enough.
- Conflicting packages: duplicate aircraft releases, old cockpit modifications and incompatible liveries can override files from the updated package.
- Changed package path: MSFS may be reading a different Community folder after an installation move, simulator upgrade or packages-path change.
- Incomplete content update: the core simulator may be updated while the aircraft, premium content or another required package remains pending in the in-simulator library.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and MSFS 2024 have separate package locations and compatibility requirements. A 2020 aircraft should not be assumed to work in 2024, particularly when it contains custom systems; our breakdown of 2020 add-on compatibility with MSFS 2024 explains which types transfer most reliably.
What does each failure symptom mean?
The way an aircraft fails usually identifies whether the problem is its code, installation, dependencies or an unrelated package.
| Symptom after the update | Most likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| The aircraft has vanished | Package not installed or enabled, wrong Community folder, extra folder nesting or incompatible build | Confirm the active package path and installed-content status |
| Loading hangs, crashes or returns to the menu | Outdated aircraft module, missing dependency, livery conflict or incompatible scenery | Test a default aircraft, then the add-on by itself at a default airport |
| Cockpit displays remain black | Electrical configuration, panel brightness, broken avionics dependency or incompatible gauge | Check power and dimmers before reinstalling avionics packages |
| Textures are pink or model sections are missing | Incomplete package, missing texture files or an old livery | Remove liveries and reinstall the complete aircraft package |
| Only one variant fails | Variant-specific panel, model or configuration files | Test another variant with the default livery |
| Some aircraft work and some of them don’t | Product-specific compatibility rather than a general simulator failure | Compare each aircraft’s supported simulator version and dependencies |
Where is the MSFS Marketplace update for my aircraft?
An MSFS Marketplace aircraft update is separate from the core Sim Update and may need to be downloaded from the simulator’s library or content-management screen.
| Type of update | Where it is normally delivered | What it updates |
|---|---|---|
| Core simulator or Sim Update | Platform launcher, console system or simulator startup process | The base simulator and its interfaces |
| Marketplace content update | In-simulator library or content-management screen | Purchased or included aircraft, scenery and dependencies |
| Non-Marketplace aircraft update | The installer, updater or replacement package supplied with that aircraft | The separately purchased or manually installed add-on |
If you are looking for an MSFS Marketplace update today, check the affected package itself rather than assuming it was included with the simulator update. Menu wording differs between MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024 and individual builds, but the package should show whether it is installed, disabled or awaiting an update. Restart MSFS after completing the download.
Do not mix distribution channels. A separately supplied installer should not be copied over a Marketplace-managed installation, and placing a second copy in the Community folder can create a conflict. For a CodeComplex aircraft, or a product from any other publisher, identify the exact aircraft, simulator generation, platform and purchase channel before choosing an update.
On Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, aircraft are managed through the simulator’s content system; there is no user-accessible Community folder. PlayStation supports MSFS 2024 only, following its 8 December 2025 release on PS5 and PS5 Pro. MSFS 2020 remains a PC and Xbox simulator.
How do I fix an aircraft after an MSFS update?
The most reliable repair sequence is to complete every update, isolate the aircraft, verify its package location and then perform a clean reinstall if necessary.
- Complete the simulator update. Allow the platform and MSFS to finish all mandatory downloads. Open the in-simulator library and install pending base content or dependencies, then close and restart the simulator normally. The same principle applies after a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 update.
- Match the aircraft to the simulator. Confirm whether the installed package supports MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 and whether it is intended for PC or console. Do not rely on a changed compatibility label or an old product description.
- Update the aircraft and every dependency. Use the Marketplace library for a Marketplace copy, or the supplied installer or replacement archive for a manually installed PC copy. Check shared avionics, libraries and required base aircraft as separate packages.
- Use Safe Mode as a diagnostic test. If MSFS 2024 offers Safe Mode after a crash, load a default aircraft at a default airport. Safe Mode suppresses third-party content, so it proves whether the base simulator can run; it does not repair or directly test the disabled add-on. Return to normal mode and enable only the affected aircraft and its documented dependencies. For repeated loading errors, follow our aircraft loading failure isolation process.
- Check the active Community folder on PC. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 may use different locations, and Store, Steam and custom installations should not be assumed to share a path. A manually installed package should expose
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonat its package root, not inside an extra identically named wrapper folder. If the path changed, use our procedure to verify or move the MSFS 2024 Community folder safely. - Remove duplicates and optional modifications. Temporarily disable liveries, sound replacements, cockpit modifications and previous aircraft releases. Test the unmodified aircraft with its default livery before restoring them one at a time.
- Reinstall the aircraft cleanly. For a manual PC installation, close MSFS, remove the entire old aircraft package and extract a fresh supported copy. Do not install an update over the old folder because obsolete files can survive. For Marketplace content, uninstall and reinstall it through the simulator’s content system.
- Retest under controlled conditions. Use a default airport, clear weather, the default livery and no unrelated scenery. If the aircraft then works, restore other packages individually until the conflict returns.
Why can’t I find the aircraft after updating?
An aircraft that no longer appears is usually installed in the wrong location, disabled, filtered from the selection screen or no longer recognised as a valid package.
- Confirm that the aircraft is shown as installed rather than merely owned in the in-simulator library.
- Clear aircraft-selection filters and look for a renamed model, family or variant.
- On PC, verify that MSFS is reading the Community folder containing the package.
- Remove extra folder nesting introduced when an archive was extracted.
- Do not manually move Marketplace-managed files into the Community folder.
If all manually installed aircraft disappear together, suspect the active packages path. If only one aircraft disappears, suspect that aircraft’s package structure, compatibility or installation state.
Is MSFS 2024 fixed, or does the aircraft still need an update?
MSFS 2024 being updated does not guarantee that every third-party aircraft is compatible with it.
MSFS 2024 reached Sim Update 5 in April 2026, but aircraft compatibility remains product-specific. If default aircraft work and an add-on fails when installed alone with its required dependencies, the simulator is functioning well enough for the test and that aircraft probably needs a compatible release.
If default aircraft also fail in the same flight with third-party content suppressed, investigate the simulator installation, required content, control profile, airport and flight setup instead. Reinstalling one add-on will not fix a system-wide failure.
What should I do if it still doesn’t work?
If a clean, supported installation still fails in isolation, keep the aircraft disabled and wait for a compatible package rather than repeatedly loading code that causes crashes.
Black screens deserve one extra check: confirm the battery, avionics master, external power where applicable and panel-brightness controls. If those are correct, use our checks for black avionics displays and broken gauge dependencies.
A useful support report should state the simulator generation, platform, Sim Update, exact aircraft version, distribution channel, required dependencies and failure symptom. Also state whether a default aircraft works in Safe Mode and whether the add-on fails without liveries or unrelated packages. Reporting only that an aircraft “doesn’t work” is not enough to distinguish incompatible code from a missing file.
What should I avoid deleting or editing?
Do not edit manifest.json, layout.json or a claimed compatibility value unless the aircraft developer supplies exact instructions. Changing a version number cannot make incompatible gauges or modules work, while an incorrect layout can stop MSFS from finding the aircraft’s files.
Do not begin by deleting the rolling cache; it stores streamed world data, not aircraft code. Avoid reinstalling the whole simulator when only one add-on fails, and never delete simulator-managed content folders as a substitute for uninstalling the affected package properly.