Open and use the Microsoft Flight Simulator World Map, set departure and arrival points, choose the right route, and fix missing flight plans.
Open Microsoft Flight Simulator’s World Map by choosing World Map on the MSFS 2020 main menu or Free Flight in MSFS 2024. Search for or select a departure, add a destination if required, choose the aircraft and route, then start the flight. It is the pre-flight planner, not the in-flight moving map.
Where is the World Map in MSFS 2020 and 2024?
| Simulator | How to open it | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| MSFS 2020 | Select World Map from the main Welcome screen. | Aircraft, departure, arrival, route, procedures, weather and traffic conditions. |
| MSFS 2024 | Select Free Flight and use its globe-based planning screen. | Aircraft and location selection, with detailed route planning handled through the integrated planning and EFB controls. |
The layout varies between PC and consoles, but the planning process is the same. If a controller only moves through menus instead of panning the map, use the displayed control to switch focus back to the map cursor.
How do I plan a flight on the World Map?
- Choose the aircraft. Select the aeroplane and livery before finalising the route, because aircraft performance affects a sensible cruise altitude and route type.
- Find the departure. Search by airport name, city or, preferably, its ICAO identifier. You can also zoom in and select the airport directly.
- Set the starting position. Choose a parking stand for a normal cold-and-dark start, or a runway for an aircraft normally configured and ready for take-off. Selecting an ordinary point away from an airport usually creates an airborne start.
- Add the destination. Select an airport and set it as the arrival. A destination is optional for local sightseeing flights.
- Choose the route. Use a direct VFR route for a simple flight, or select an IFR airway option when you want an instrument flight plan. Add departure, arrival and approach procedures only after checking that they suit the runway and aircraft. Our walkthrough of the built-in route planner covers waypoint editing and procedure selection in more depth.
- Set flight conditions. Choose the time, weather and traffic options offered by your version. Live weather can produce a different active runway from the one initially selected.
- Review and start. Check the route line, departure position, cruise altitude and arrival procedure before starting the flight.
Which World Map route type should I choose?
Choose the route type according to how you intend to fly, not simply according to the aircraft’s size.
- VFR Direct or GPS: best for sightseeing, short general-aviation flights and straightforward point-to-point navigation.
- VOR-to-VOR: useful when practising conventional radio navigation rather than following only a GPS line.
- Low-altitude IFR airways: generally appropriate for lower-level IFR flights in piston aircraft and turboprops.
- High-altitude IFR airways: normally the better choice for airliners and business jets cruising at higher flight levels.
The route generated by Microsoft Flight Simulator is a proposal, not a guarantee of operational accuracy. Check for backtracking, unsuitable runways, discontinuities and an unrealistic cruise altitude. If you want an IFR clearance from the simulator, create the IFR plan before loading the flight; later edits made only in the aircraft’s FMS may not reach built-in ATC. Our guide to using MSFS ATC explains that relationship.
Why can’t I find an airport or see my route?
Most World Map problems come from search filters, an incomplete departure selection or an aircraft that does not import the native flight plan.
- The airport is missing: search using its exact ICAO identifier and clear restrictive map filters. An add-on airport must also be installed, enabled and compatible with the simulator version.
- No parking positions appear: zoom in, select the airport and inspect its departure-position list. Small airfields may not contain defined stands.
- There is no route line: confirm that the points were set specifically as departure and arrival rather than merely highlighted on the map.
- The cockpit has no flight plan: some complex add-on aircraft do not accept the native World Map route. They may require the route to be entered or imported through their own EFB or FMS.
- The approach is duplicated: avoid importing a complete route and then adding the same arrival or approach again inside the avionics.
Can I open the World Map during a flight?
No. The World Map is primarily a pre-flight screen, and returning to it from an active flight normally means leaving that flight. In MSFS 2020, use the toolbar’s moving map instead; our MSFS 2020 VFR Map instructions explain its controls and limitations. MSFS 2024 provides in-flight map and planning functions through its EFB, although available integration varies by aircraft and activity.
Can I load a saved or SimBrief flight plan?
MSFS 2020 can load a saved .PLN file from the World Map before the flight begins. After loading one, inspect the departure stand, runway, approach and altitude because imported plans do not always preserve every selection as expected.
MSFS 2024 places more of this workflow in its integrated planner and EFB, and transfer to the aircraft or ATC depends on the avionics. For an externally generated route, follow our SimBrief import and route-checking procedure rather than entering the same plan through two different systems.