How do I update the AIRAC cycle in X-Plane 11 and 12?
To update the AIRAC cycle in X-Plane 11 or 12, download the correct X-Plane navdata package from your licensed provider and install its contents in Custom Data inside the simulator folder. Restart X-Plane, then verify the cycle in cycle_info.txt and in the aircraft’s FMS or GPS.
How do I install an AIRAC update in X-Plane?
The safest method is to update each X-Plane installation separately, using either your provider’s data manager or its manual X-Plane package.
- Close X-Plane. Navdata is loaded during startup, so replacing files while the simulator is running will not update the active database.
- Find the correct simulator folder. Use
X-Plane 11/Custom Data/orX-Plane 12/Custom Data/. If both versions or multiple copies are installed, each has its own folder. - Back up the existing Custom Data folder. Keep any user-created navigation files and the previous working dataset until the new cycle has loaded successfully.
- Select the proper X-Plane target. In an automatic data manager, map the entry to the X-Plane root folder rather than
Custom Sceneryor an individual aircraft folder. If the provider offers distinct X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 formats, choose the one matching that installation. - Check the manual package structure. Files such as
earth_nav.datand theCIFPdirectory must end up directly underCustom Data. Avoid nested paths such asCustom Data/Custom Data/orCustom Data/AIRAC-package-name/. - Restart and verify the cycle. Read
Custom Data/cycle_info.txtwhen the package supplies it, then compare that cycle with the database shown on the aircraft’s FMS status, identification or database page.
Do not overwrite Resources/default data. X-Plane keeps its factory database there and gives compatible files in Custom Data priority. Preserving the default data makes recovery much easier if an update is incomplete or corrupt.
Does every X-Plane aircraft use the same navdata?
No. Default avionics and many add-on aircraft read X-Plane’s native database, but some complex aircraft maintain a separate database that must be updated independently.
| Navdata target | Where it is updated | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Default X-Plane GPS and FMS | Custom Data in the simulator folder | One native X-Plane update covers avionics that use the simulator database. |
| Add-on using native X-Plane data | The same Custom Data folder | Its displayed cycle should match X-Plane after a restart. |
| Add-on with its own database | The aircraft-specific target offered by the data provider | The aircraft can show an old cycle even when X-Plane itself is updated. |
| Second X-Plane installation | That copy’s own Custom Data folder | Updates are not shared automatically between installations. |
This separation is the usual reason an FMS and the simulator map disagree. Our explanation of separate simulator and aircraft nav databases uses FSX examples, but the same AIRAC-matching principle applies in X-Plane.
Why does the FMS still show the old AIRAC cycle?
An old cycle after installation usually means the update went to the wrong folder or the aircraft uses its own database.
- Wrong X-Plane copy: check the installation path carefully, particularly when stable, test, Steam or duplicate installations coexist.
- Nested archive folder: move the actual dataset to the top level of
Custom Data; do not leave it inside an extra package directory. - Aircraft-specific data: configure a separate update target for the add-on if its documentation says it maintains its own navigation database.
- No restart: exit X-Plane completely and launch it again.
- Mixed or incomplete files: restore the backup, remove only the previous provider-owned dataset, and reinstall one complete cycle. Combining files from different cycles can cause loading errors or inconsistent procedures.
If the path looks correct, inspect Log.txt in the X-Plane root folder for navdata loading or format errors. Do not delete the factory database while troubleshooting.
Why are SIDs and STARs missing after the update?
A matching AIRAC cycle does not guarantee that every procedure will appear in every aircraft or at every airport.
Confirm that the FMS, X-Plane database and charts or flight-planning data all use the same cycle. A procedure may also be absent because it was withdrawn, requires a runway identifier that does not match the installed airport scenery, or is unsupported by that aircraft’s FMS. Our guide to diagnosing missing SIDs and STARs in X-Plane 12 covers those procedure-specific checks.
Do I need to update every AIRAC cycle?
You only need every 28-day AIRAC update when you want close agreement with current charts, routes, online ATC or external flight-planning data.
For offline flying, an older but internally consistent cycle is usually preferable to mixing newer routes with an outdated aircraft database. AIRAC cycle numbers identify the year and cycle sequence; they are not simple calendar-month numbers. Whichever cycle you use, keep the simulator, aircraft and planning data aligned.