Remove a flight plan discontinuity in MSFS 2024 using the correct Airbus, Boeing or Garmin method, and learn when a route gap should stay.
In MSFS 2024, remove a flight plan discontinuity in the aircraft's FMS, not from the map screen: inspect why the gap exists, then clear it or connect the next valid waypoint. Airbus units normally use CLR; Boeing units copy the next fix over the gap. Never erase an intentional vectors leg blindly.
What does a flight plan discontinuity mean?
A discontinuity means the flight management system has no automatic path from one route leg to the next. It may come from an imported route, incompatible procedures, duplicate waypoints, or an intentional VECTOR or MANUAL leg requiring pilot or ATC action.
There is no simulator-wide Remove Discontinuity button in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The exact method depends on the aircraft's avionics, and the route shown in the EFB or pre-flight planner may be separate from the route loaded into the cockpit FMS.
How do I clear the discontinuity?
- Open the active route on the MCDU, CDU or flight-plan page and find the discontinuity.
- Check the waypoint below it against the intended SID, STAR or approach. Confirm that joining the two legs will not create a turn back, duplicate fix or unsafe shortcut.
- Apply the avionics-specific method shown below. Clearing the displayed text without checking the resulting leg is a mistake we see constantly.
- Review the route in PLAN mode or on the navigation display. Step through the fixes and look for loops, sharp reversals and gaps.
- Confirm the modification with the appropriate INSERT or EXEC command, then verify that LNAV or managed navigation is following the intended active leg.
| Avionics | Typical method | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus MCDU | Press CLR, then the line-select key beside F-PLN DISCONTINUITY | Insert the temporary flight plan if requested |
| Boeing CDU | Copy the waypoint after the gap into the scratchpad, then place it over the discontinuity | Press EXEC |
| Garmin G1000 or similar | Activate the next valid leg, or use Direct-To when appropriate | Check the active magenta leg |
Airbus A320 and other Airbus aircraft
On an Airbus-style MCDU, an ordinary discontinuity is normally deleted with CLR followed by the line-select key next to the discontinuity. Review any temporary route, then select INSERT only if the new connection is correct.
If the MCDU reports that deletion is not allowed, the preceding leg may be a protected manual or vectors segment. Select DIR TO for the next cleared fix when appropriate rather than trying to force-delete the leg. Aircraft implementations differ, so our detailed Airbus MCDU programming guidance explains the complete route-editing workflow.
Boeing 737 and other Boeing aircraft
On a Boeing-style CDU, connect the route by selecting the waypoint immediately after the discontinuity and placing it into the discontinuity line. Check the resulting course on the navigation display, then press EXEC.
Do not use the Airbus CLR method in a Boeing CDU; deleting the wrong line can remove the next waypoint instead of joining the route. See our full Boeing 737 FMC route-entry procedure for the associated LEGS-page checks.
Garmin G1000 and other general aviation avionics
Garmin units usually resolve a route gap by activating the next valid leg or using Direct-To rather than deleting a labelled discontinuity. On the flight-plan page, select the required waypoint or leg and use the unit's Activate Leg command.
Activate Leg follows the stored inbound course to the selected fix. Direct-To draws a new course from the aircraft's present position, so it can cut across a procedure or produce a sharp intercept. Choose Direct-To only when that shortcut matches your clearance or intended route.
Why will the discontinuity not clear?
A discontinuity usually refuses to clear because it represents a manual sequence, an incompatible procedure transition or a route that has not been loaded into the active cockpit avionics.
- VECTOR or MANUAL leg: Fly the assigned heading, then activate or go direct to the next cleared fix.
- Wrong runway or transition: Remove the existing procedure and load the correct runway, SID, STAR or approach transition.
- Duplicate waypoint: Delete the incorrect duplicate before connecting the remaining legs.
- Planner and FMS disagree: Re-import or enter the route in the cockpit system. Our guide to diagnosing planner and cockpit route mismatches covers this common MSFS 2024 problem.
- Edit not confirmed: Press INSERT or EXEC after reviewing the changed route.
- Aircraft limitation: Some simplified or add-on avionics do not support every procedure leg. Select a compatible transition or manually activate the next safe leg.
Should every discontinuity be removed?
No. Keep a discontinuity when the published procedure ends in radar vectors, requires manual sequencing, or leaves the next leg subject to ATC clearance.
Forcing those legs together can make LNAV turn towards the next fix immediately, bypassing the assigned heading or approach intercept. Compare the FMS sequence with the chart; our explanation of SID and STAR chart legs helps distinguish an intentional vectors segment from a broken route.
Why does the discontinuity return after editing the route?
The gap can return when MSFS 2024 or an aircraft reloads a runway, arrival, approach or imported flight plan after the cockpit edit. Avoid changing the same procedure independently in both the pre-flight planner and the aircraft FMS.
Load the base route first, select one consistent runway and transition, then resolve remaining gaps inside the cockpit. Remember that editing the FMS does not always update the separate plan held by built-in ATC, so verify both before departure or before beginning the arrival.