Update PMDG AIRAC data in MSFS with Navigraph Hub, verify the FMC cycle, fix old-data errors and understand console limits.
On PC, update PMDG AIRAC navigation data by closing Microsoft Flight Simulator, installing the matching aircraft package in Navigraph Hub, and checking the new cycle on the FMC/CDU IDENT page. PMDG uses a database separate from the simulator. Console users cannot install Hub packages and must use any update method supplied inside the aircraft.
How to install the latest AIRAC cycle in a PMDG aircraft
- Identify the simulator and PMDG aircraft family. Navigraph Hub may list separate packages for different PMDG products and simulator generations. Choose the entry matching the aircraft you actually fly.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Also close PMDG Operations Center and any other utility accessing the aircraft files. Installing while the simulator is running can leave the old database loaded or prevent files from being replaced.
- Open Navigraph Hub. Sign in with an account that has access to current navigation data. Let the application finish detecting installed simulators and add-ons.
- Find the PMDG-specific navdata package. Select the package named for your PMDG aircraft or aircraft family. Installing only the general Microsoft Flight Simulator navdata package does not update PMDG’s FMC database.
- Install or update the package. Let Hub complete the operation without manually redirecting it to a guessed Community folder. Installation locations differ between simulator versions, store editions and PMDG products.
- Verify the cycle in the aircraft. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator, load the PMDG aircraft and open the FMC/CDU
IDENTpage. Confirm that its AIRAC identifier or validity dates match the cycle installed through Hub.
AIRAC data normally changes on a 28-day schedule. Our explanation of what an AIRAC cycle changes in a flight simulator covers why mismatched cycles produce missing waypoints, procedures and route errors.
Why is PMDG navdata separate from the MSFS database?
PMDG aircraft use their own FMC navigation database rather than relying entirely on the database behind the Microsoft Flight Simulator World Map and default avionics.
| Component | What it controls | How it is updated |
|---|---|---|
| PMDG navigation database | FMC waypoints, airways, SIDs, STARs and approaches | Matching PMDG navdata package in Navigraph Hub on PC |
| MSFS navigation database | World Map, ATC routing and aircraft using simulator navdata | Separate simulator navdata package |
| Flight-planning data | The route and procedures generated outside the aircraft | Select or download the same AIRAC through the planning service |
| PMDG aircraft software | Aircraft systems, displays, fixes and features | PMDG Operations Center or the platform’s supported update channel |
A mistake we see constantly is updating the aircraft through Operations Center and expecting the FMC cycle to change. Use our guide to using PMDG Operations Center for aircraft maintenance, but treat AIRAC installation as a separate job.
Why does the PMDG FMC still show the old AIRAC cycle?
An unchanged cycle usually means the wrong package was installed or the simulator retained the previous database during installation.
- The general MSFS package was updated: Return to Hub and install the entry specifically associated with the PMDG aircraft.
- The wrong aircraft or simulator was selected: Check for separate packages covering another PMDG family or another Microsoft Flight Simulator generation.
- MSFS was left running: Close it fully, reinstall the PMDG package and launch the simulator again.
- The aircraft was not detected: Confirm that the PMDG aircraft itself loads correctly and is up to date, then refresh or rescan installed add-ons in Hub if that option is offered.
- Hub reports success but the old cycle remains: Remove and reinstall only the relevant PMDG navdata package. Do not delete aircraft folders or copy database files from another PMDG product.
- The new cycle appears but procedures are missing: Check that the flight planner uses the same AIRAC. A procedure may also have been renamed, withdrawn or changed between cycles; custom airport scenery does not automatically add matching FMC procedures.
Do I need to update Microsoft Flight Simulator navdata too?
Updating MSFS navdata is not required merely to make the PMDG FMC use its new cycle, but matching databases reduces disagreements between the World Map, ATC, external flight plans and the aircraft.
If you build a route outside the PMDG FMC or use the World Map before loading the aircraft, keep those sources on the same cycle where possible. The separate procedure for updating Microsoft Flight Simulator’s core navdata explains how to install and verify that package without confusing it with the PMDG database.
Can I update PMDG AIRAC data on Xbox or PlayStation?
You cannot use the PC Navigraph Hub workflow on Xbox or PlayStation because console users do not have access to the PMDG package files. If a PMDG product is available on your console, use only a navigation-data updater built into that aircraft or a database delivered through an official aircraft update.
Access to current charts inside a tablet or display does not necessarily update the FMC database. Check the FMC/CDU IDENT page rather than assuming that current charts mean current aircraft navdata.
Can I fly the PMDG aircraft without the latest AIRAC?
Yes. The database supplied with the aircraft remains usable, particularly for offline flying, but routes created against newer data may contain waypoints or procedures that the FMC cannot recognise.
If you do not have access to a current licensed cycle, use charts and a flight plan from the same cycle as the aircraft where possible. Do not install copied or unofficial navigation databases: PMDG data is product-specific, and incompatible files can cause route-loading errors or leave the FMC without usable procedures.