Can I use multiple airport scenery add-ons in MSFS?

Yes. Microsoft Flight Simulator can use multiple airport scenery add-ons at the same time when they cover different airports. Keep only one complete replacement active for each ICAO code, because two versions of the same airport can cause duplicate buildings, flickering ground, broken elevations, missing objects and conflicting taxiways.

Which airport scenery combinations work together?

The safest setup is one complete airport package per ICAO code, accompanied by its required libraries and any compatible regional scenery.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 use related scenery package systems, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Use the edition named by the developer unless the documentation explicitly supports both simulators. A package loading without an error does not prove that its jetways, materials, exclusions and terrain work correctly.

Can two add-ons for the same airport be active?

Two complete add-ons for the same airport should not normally be active together, even if one has a higher package priority.

Separate airport packages may define their own runways, aprons, terminals, taxiway signs, jetways, exclusions and terrain changes. Microsoft Flight Simulator cannot merge those competing definitions into one coherent airport. Common symptoms include:

• Duplicate terminals, control towers or hangars
• Flickering apron and runway surfaces
• Floating buildings, sunken runways or steep terrain walls
• Duplicate jetways, windsocks and taxiway signs
• Missing objects removed by the other package's exclusions
• Incorrect parking positions or unusable taxi routes

The valid exception is an enhancement designed to require a separate base airport. Examples include texture upgrades or terminal extensions built specifically for another product. Keep both packages only when the documentation identifies the base airport as a dependency.

Does scenery package priority fix airport conflicts?

No. Package priority can influence which package definition loads first, but it cannot reliably reconcile overlapping geometry, terraforming, exclusions and airport layouts.

Priority is useful when a developer gives a specific ordering instruction or when an airport must override broader regional scenery. It is not a dependable way to combine two competing airport replacements. Our explanation of how the MSFS scenery library handles packages and priority covers the underlying loading behaviour.

Should I disable the default MSFS airport?

Usually no: a complete third-party airport should replace the basic autogenerated airport through exclusions included in its package.

A separately installed official handcrafted airport is different. If an edition upgrade, official content package or optional airport covers the same ICAO code and creates visible overlap, disable that optional package rather than removing core simulator content. Marketplace and externally installed copies of the same product should not both remain active.

Can I use KSDL scenery with other airport add-ons?

Yes—KSDL scenery for Scottsdale Airport can run alongside add-ons for other ICAO codes, provided those packages do not also modify KSDL or its immediate surroundings.

For example, a dedicated KSDL package and an airport replacement elsewhere can normally remain active together. Take extra care with Phoenix-area city scenery, Arizona regional packages and nearby airports because their terrain, aerial imagery or vegetation coverage may extend towards Scottsdale.

Do not rely on a package's folder name alone. A regional product may include an airport modification without putting KSDL in the folder name. Check its coverage list and test KSDL for duplicated buildings, uneven aprons and altered runway levels.

Are scenery add-ons safe to install?

Using several scenery add-ons is safe for the simulator when each package is compatible, self-contained and installed in the correct location; file security is a separate issue that must be assessed before installation.

No download source or file can be declared safe from a name such as “scenery add-ons” alone. Check the exact package, publisher information and archive contents rather than trusting a familiar-looking label.

• Scan downloaded archives and installers with updated security software before opening them.
• Treat unexplained executable files, unexpected password requests or instructions to disable security software as warning signs.
• Do not overwrite core simulator files unless the developer provides a clear, credible reason and a reversal procedure.
• Keep packages in separate folders instead of merging their contents. This makes removal and conflict testing much safer.
• Read the included requirements so that object libraries and other dependencies come from the specified package source.

Most PC scenery installed as a self-contained Community package is reversible: close the simulator and remove or relocate that package. A broken or outdated add-on can still cause loading errors or missing scenery without being malicious.

How should I install multiple airport packages?

Install each airport as a separate package, verify its simulator version and test it before adding the next large batch.

1. Make an ICAO inventory. Record every complete airport replacement, including optional official and Marketplace content.
2. Confirm compatibility. Do not assume an MSFS 2020 package is fully compatible with MSFS 2024 unless its documentation says so.
3. Use one package folder per add-on. Avoid an extra nested folder that leaves the actual package one level too deep inside Community.
4. Install required libraries. Missing dependencies can produce empty stands, invisible buildings or absent clutter.
5. Restart Microsoft Flight Simulator. Test the terminal, runway levels, taxiway markings, jetways and surrounding terrain.
6. Add further airports gradually. Small batches make the package responsible for a new problem much easier to identify.

PC users can follow our dedicated instructions for installing scenery packages correctly in MSFS 2024. For the earlier simulator, use our MSFS 2020 Community-folder installation guidance.

Console editions manage supported add-ons through the simulator's content or package library. This applies to MSFS 2020 on Xbox and MSFS 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro; loose PC Community packages cannot be sideloaded in the same way.

Will installing many airports reduce performance?

Installing many unrelated airports does not make Microsoft Flight Simulator render all of them at once, so the total package count does not translate directly into lower frame rates.

A highly detailed airport can reduce performance while it is near the aircraft, particularly when it contains dense geometry, high-resolution textures, animated objects or complex lighting. A large collection can also consume substantial storage, lengthen some package checks and make troubleshooting slower.

Shared object libraries should remain installed when required. Duplicate airport renditions, obsolete versions and unused packages are better disabled or removed rather than retained “just in case”.

How do I find the add-on causing a scenery conflict?

Use a controlled isolation test that leaves the affected airport and its required dependencies active while every possible overlapping package is disabled.

1. List every package covering the area. Include the airport, city scenery, regional mesh, aerial imagery and optional official content.
2. Disable competing packages. On PC, move external packages out of Community; use the simulator's package controls for managed content.
3. Restart the simulator. Reloading only the flight may not apply every package change cleanly.
4. Inspect the airport alone. Check buildings, runway elevation, apron surfaces, parking positions and nearby terrain.
5. Restore packages one at a time. Restart and retest after each addition until the fault returns.
6. Keep one complete airport rendition. If the conflict returns when a second version of the same ICAO code is enabled, remove or disable that version rather than relying on priority.

Moving files out of Community does not disable Marketplace, official or other simulator-managed packages. Those must be switched off separately, which is why an apparently empty Community folder does not always produce a completely stock airport.

Why has the airport disappeared instead of overlapping?

A vanished airport usually points to an exclusion package left active, a missing dependency, an incomplete installation, incorrect folder nesting or a package built for a different simulator version.

Test the airport package by itself with its documented libraries. If the runway appears but terminals do not, check dependencies first; if the entire airport is absent, verify installation depth and whether another regional package contains broad exclusions.