How do I use ground services in MSFS 2024?
To use ground services in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, park at a suitable gate or ramp, set the parking brake, open the ATC/communications panel and choose Ground Services. Request each available item—such as a jetway, fuel, baggage, catering, external power or pushback—and wait for the vehicle or equipment to arrive.
How do I request ground services in MSFS 2024?
- Start at a suitable parking position. Choose a gate for jetways, baggage and catering, or a ramp position for smaller aircraft. A runway start will not provide a normal turnaround menu.
- Secure the aircraft. Stop on the stand, set the parking brake and place the throttles at idle. Shut down the engines and switch off the beacon before requesting people or vehicles near the aircraft; some detailed aircraft enforce these conditions.
- Open the ATC or communications panel. Use its toolbar icon, an assigned keyboard command or cursor mode on a console. Bindings vary by control preset, so search the Controls Options for “ATC” or “communications” rather than relying on an older simulator shortcut.
- Select Ground Services. It may appear immediately or beneath the entry for the airport where the aircraft is parked. The exact wording can vary slightly with the interface and aircraft.
- Choose the required service. Wait for the acknowledgement and vehicle before operating the associated aircraft system. You can request several services, although calling them one at a time makes blocked vehicles easier to diagnose.
- Remove everything before departure. Close the doors, disconnect the jetway or stairs, remove external power and wait for other vehicles to clear. Request pushback last.
What does each ground-service request actually do?
| Service | What it requires | What the pilot must still do |
|---|---|---|
| Jetway or stairs | A compatible gate or remote stand and reasonably accurate parking | Open the correct passenger door using the aircraft controls; the request does not always operate the door |
| External power | A stand and aircraft that support ground power | Wait for the source to become available, then select external power in the cockpit |
| Fuel | A supported parking position, normally with engines shut down | Set or confirm the required quantity through the prompted loading interface or the aircraft's own system |
| Baggage and catering | A suitable airliner, parking stand and service access | Open service or cargo doors where the aircraft requires it and set payload separately unless the aircraft integrates loading |
| Pushback | A tug-compatible stand with the jetway, chocks and other equipment removed | Release the parking brake only after connection, then steer and stop the tug using the available commands; our built-in tug and pushback procedure covers the full sequence |
A mistake we see constantly is treating a service request as an aircraft command. Connecting a jetway does not necessarily open the door, and attaching ground power does not automatically energise the aeroplane. Watch the cockpit indications and operate the aircraft-side controls yourself.
What order should ground services be used in?
The least troublesome order is to establish power first, service the aircraft, remove the equipment and push back last.
- Set the parking brake, shut down and request external power if needed.
- Connect the jetway or stairs, then open the appropriate doors.
- Request fuel, baggage and catering. At cramped stands, stagger the requests so vehicles do not obstruct one another.
- Confirm fuel and payload inside the cockpit or loading system, then close every door.
- Disconnect the jetway, stairs and ground power, and wait until all vehicles are clear.
- Remove chocks and request pushback.
Why are ground services missing or unavailable?
Ground-service options are contextual, so an empty or shortened menu usually means the aircraft, stand or airport does not support that service.
- Wrong starting position: move from the runway or an unmarked apron to a recognised gate or ramp parking spot.
- Unsupported stand: a small ramp will not offer an airliner jetway, catering or baggage equipment. Even large-looking stands can lack the underlying service and vehicle-path data.
- Poor parking alignment: stop close to the stand centre line and the marked stopping point. A jetway may fail when the usable door is beyond its movement range.
- Unsafe aircraft state: apply the parking brake and shut down the engines. Detailed aircraft may also require the beacon to be off and the correct doors to be open.
- Aircraft-managed services: some aircraft use their own tablet or load manager instead of, or alongside, the simulator menu. Use one system consistently; our explanation of the MSFS 2024 EFB and its aircraft pages shows where those controls may appear.
- Career or activity restrictions: a mission can expose only the services needed for its present phase.
- Blocked vehicle routing: cancel the request if that option is offered, allow other vehicles to leave, then request it again. If nothing moves, restarting from another stand is often faster than waiting indefinitely.
Why is the pushback tug connected but not moving?
Check the parking brake, chocks, jetway, external-power cable and open service doors before blaming the tug. Aircraft-supplied chocks are a common cause because the simulator cannot always remove equipment controlled by the aircraft itself. PMDG users should follow the PMDG-specific chock and ground-equipment checks before calling the built-in tug.
Do baggage and catering services change the payload?
Baggage and catering requests normally summon vehicles and animations; they do not guarantee that the aircraft's payload has changed. Set passengers, cargo and baggage through the aircraft's loading page or EFB, then confirm the resulting weight rather than assuming the service animation performed the load.
Fuel handling also varies. A default aircraft may present a simulator loading control when the fuel truck arrives, while a detailed airliner may require its own fuel page. In either case, confirm the quantity on the fuel gauges or aircraft display before disconnecting the service.