Update the Fenix A320 AIRAC in MSFS with Navigraph Hub, verify the MCDU cycle, and fix old data or missing SIDs, STARs and approaches.
To update the Fenix A320 AIRAC in Microsoft Flight Simulator, close MSFS and the Fenix App, then install or update the dedicated Fenix A320 navdata package in Navigraph Hub. Restart both applications and verify the active cycle in the MCDU. Updating only the simulator’s navdata package is not enough.
How to update the Fenix A320 AIRAC
The update must be applied to the Fenix-specific navdata package rather than only to Microsoft Flight Simulator’s database.
- Close MSFS and the Fenix App, including any Fenix process that remains open in the background. This prevents the aircraft from retaining the previous database in memory.
- Open Navigraph Hub and sign in with an account that has access to navdata updates.
- Find the Fenix A320 package and choose its install or update option. Hub’s grouping and button labels can change, but the target must specifically identify the Fenix aircraft. Do not substitute the general Microsoft Flight Simulator package.
- Update the MSFS navdata separately if required. Do this when you also use the World Map, default ATC or aircraft that read the simulator’s own database. It does not replace the Fenix update.
- Restart the Fenix App and MSFS through your normal aircraft-loading workflow. A mistake we see constantly is checking the MCDU without restarting the external Fenix software.
- Verify the database in the cockpit before entering the route. Check both the AIRAC identifier and its validity dates rather than assuming that a successful message in Hub reached the aircraft.
Let Hub use its detected installation location. Manually copying navdata into the Community folder, or borrowing database files from another aircraft, is not a supported substitute and can leave the Fenix using the original cycle.
How do I check the AIRAC cycle in the Fenix MCDU?
The active AIRAC cycle is shown on the MCDU’s aircraft-status or navigation-database page.
On the Fenix MCDU, press DATA and open A/C STATUS. Look for the active navigation database, cycle identifier and validity period. If active and secondary databases are both displayed, make sure you are reading the active one.
AIRAC data normally has a 28-day validity window. An out-of-date warning can therefore be correct when the simulated flight date falls outside that window, even if you installed the latest available package. Compare the cycle number itself before reinstalling anything.
For a practical check, try selecting a departure, airway, arrival or approach that belongs to that cycle. Our guide to entering and verifying a route in the A320 MCDU shows where those items should appear.
Which navdata databases need to match?
The Fenix, the MSFS World Map and an imported flight plan can use separate databases, so each component may need its own update.
| Component | Data to check | Typical mismatch symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Fenix A320 FMGS/MCDU | Dedicated Fenix package in Navigraph Hub | Missing procedures, NOT IN DATA BASE or airway errors |
| MSFS World Map and default ATC | Simulator navdata package or the data supplied with MSFS | Different runway, procedure or route from the MCDU |
| SimBrief or another generated flight plan | AIRAC used when the plan was generated | Imported waypoints or airways that the Fenix cannot find |
| Airport scenery | Runway layout and designators represented by the scenery | The MCDU uses a valid new runway number while the scenery still shows the old one |
Matching every component to one cycle is strongly recommended, but a mismatch does not automatically make the aircraft unflyable. The Fenix will accept route elements that exist in its own database; changed or withdrawn waypoints, airways and procedures are where problems appear.
If you create the route in the simulator rather than entering it directly in the aircraft, our walkthrough of how to build and inspect a route in the MSFS World Map helps distinguish a planner mismatch from a Fenix navdata problem.
Why does the Fenix still show the old AIRAC?
An old cycle after an apparent update usually means the wrong package was updated, the previous database remained cached, or Hub did not complete the Fenix installation.
- Check the update target. Updating only the package labelled for Microsoft Flight Simulator will not necessarily change the Fenix MCDU.
- Close both applications fully. Exit MSFS and the Fenix App, install the package again, then restart them.
- Repair the Fenix package in Hub. If Hub offers a repair or reinstall function, use it for the Fenix navdata package rather than reinstalling the whole aircraft first.
- Confirm which database is active. Do not mistake a previous cycle listed as the secondary database for the active one.
- Check the simulated date. A validity warning caused by a historical or future flight date does not prove that the package failed.
What if the Fenix package is missing from Navigraph Hub?
A missing Fenix entry usually means Hub has not detected a complete aircraft installation.
Confirm that the Fenix A320 itself loads normally, launch it once after any aircraft update, close MSFS and reopen Hub. Also update or restart Hub so that it rescans supported add-ons. Use Hub’s own package-location or repair controls if available rather than guessing a navdata folder.
Why are SIDs, STARs or approaches still missing?
A missing procedure with the correct active cycle is often caused by route selection, changed real-world data or outdated airport scenery rather than a failed AIRAC installation.
- Compare the route’s cycle with the MCDU cycle. An older saved flight plan may reference a procedure or waypoint that no longer exists.
- Check the selected runway and transition. The expected SID or STAR may be listed under a different runway, en-route transition or approach transition.
- Allow for renamed procedures. AIRAC updates can amend or withdraw procedures instead of simply adding them.
- Inspect airport scenery. Older scenery can retain superseded runway numbers even though the FMS data is correct.
- Separate route import from navdata. If the database cycle is correct but the aircraft will not retrieve the plan, follow our checks for a Fenix INIT REQUEST that does not work. Reinstalling AIRAC data will not fix an account, flight-plan or request configuration problem.
Do I need Navigraph to update the Fenix AIRAC?
Navigraph Hub is the standard updater for installing regular current-cycle data into the dedicated Fenix package, but the aircraft does not require a current AIRAC simply to operate.
Without access to current navdata, the Fenix can continue using the cycle supplied with the aircraft or a previous update. That is adequate for routes whose waypoints and procedures still exist, but it can disagree with newer charts, flight plans and real-world procedure names.
Does Navigraph SimLink update the Fenix AIRAC?
No. Navigraph Hub installs navdata, while SimLink sends the simulator’s position to compatible external tools. If aircraft tracking is the problem, use our steps for diagnosing a SimLink connection failure; reinstalling SimLink will not change the AIRAC displayed in the Fenix MCDU.