Importing Flight Plans into Microsoft Flight Simulator (.PLN)

Microsoft Flight Simulator uses the .PLN XML format for flight plans. NG ROUTE generates PLN files with your IFR airway structure, waypoints in sequence, and departure airport preset. This guide walks through the full workflow from clicking export to pushing back from the gate with your route loaded in the World Map.

Before you export

Build and verify your route on NG ROUTE first:

1. Enter departure and destination ICAO codes.
2. Choose HIGH airways for jets or LOW for regional aircraft below FL245.
3. Select the aircraft you will fly — fuel and performance hints align with that choice.
4. Click CREATE FLIGHT PLAN and review the nav log.
5. Check METAR-based runway suggestions for departure and arrival.

When the summary, terrain profile, and route string look correct, you are ready to export.

Download the PLN file

Click ↓ Microsoft Flight Simulator in the export panel. Your browser saves a file named DEP-ARR.pln — for example EGLL-EHAM.pln for London Heathrow to Amsterdam.

Store it somewhere easy to find. The Documents folder or a dedicated Flight Plans subfolder works well. MSFS does not require a specific directory; you browse to the file when loading.

Load the plan in MSFS 2020 / 2024

1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator and open the World Map (main menu → Fly, or from the toolbar before a flight).
2. On the top toolbar, click the Load / Save icon (folder symbol).
3. Choose Load from the dropdown.
4. Navigate to your saved .pln file and confirm.
5. The map redraws with your route, departure airport, and waypoints.

Select your aircraft, parking position, and weather preset. Start the flight when ready.

What the PLN includes — and what it does not

NG ROUTE PLN files contain:

• Departure and destination airports
• En-route waypoints in order
• IFR airway segments as the sim interprets them
• A preset departure runway where the format supports it

They typically do not include:

• SIDs and STARs — add these in your aircraft FMC or the World Map if needed
• Arrival runway — MSFS often assigns this via ATC or manual World Map selection
• Cruise altitude — set this in the aircraft after takeoff or in the World Map cruise field

This matches how most external planners interact with MSFS. The PLN is a horizontal route, not a full airline briefing package.

Setting cruise altitude and fuel

Use the CRUISE value from NG ROUTE as your initial target — for example FL330. In the World Map you can sometimes preset altitude; otherwise set it on the autopilot after departure clearance.

Load fuel from the NG ROUTE TOTAL FUEL line into the aircraft payload screen. Round up slightly. Matching planned weight keeps takeoff performance realistic if your add-on uses weight for V-speeds.

Live weather alignment

If you enable live/real-world weather in MSFS, winds and visibility should approximate the METAR NG ROUTE displayed when you built the plan. Refresh the plan on NG ROUTE if METAR is more than an hour old before a long setup session.

Set destination QNH from the arrival METAR before descent — incorrect pressure is a common reason approaches feel wrong even with a perfect PLN route.

Troubleshooting

• Route looks jagged on the World Map — normal for airway routing; compare waypoint names to the NG ROUTE nav log.
• Missing waypoint — sim navdata may differ from NG ROUTE AIRAC cycle; delete the bad leg in World Map or reload after a Navigraph update.
• Wrong departure runway — change it on the World Map departure detail panel to match NG ROUTE METAR suggestion.
• PLN does not load — confirm the file is not empty and that you exported after a successful plan (not an error state).

MSFS 2024 notes

The World Map and load/save workflow remains familiar in MSFS 2024. Folder paths and toolbar icons may vary slightly by version — look for the flight-plan load option in the planning screen if the toolbar layout changed in your build.

Quick checklist

1. Plan created on NG ROUTE ✓
2. .pln downloaded ✓
3. Loaded in World Map ✓
4. Aircraft and fuel set ✓
5. Runway and QNH briefed from METAR ✓

For X-Plane use the separate X-Plane FMS import guide. For Aerofly, see the Aerofly mission format guide. The in-app import tutorial covers all three simulators in one page.

NG ROUTE flight plans are for flight simulation only.