How to Create Your Own Airport Scenery in MSFS 2024: A Beginner's Guide

One of the most rewarding things you can do in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is create your own airport scenery. Whether it's your local airfield that's missing from the sim, an improvement to an existing airport, or a completely fictional creation — the SDK tools built into MSFS make it surprisingly accessible, even if you've never made scenery before.

Enable Developer Mode

First things first:

1. Launch MSFS 2024
2. Go to Options → General Options → Developers
3. Set Developer Mode = ON

A developer toolbar appears at the top of the screen. This is your gateway to all scenery creation tools.

Create a Project

From the developer toolbar:

1. Click Project Editor
2. Select New Project
3. Choose a working folder (e.g., Documents/MSFSProjects/)
4. Name your project and package
5. Click Create Project

This sets up the folder structure MSFS uses to store your scenery files.

Build Your Airport

Start with the Basics

Open the Scenery Editor from the developer toolbar and create a new airport. You'll need:

• ICAO Code — use ZZZZ for custom airports or the real code if you're recreating an existing one
• Airport Name, City, Country

Add Runways

Select your airport and click Add → Runway. Set the length, width, surface type (asphalt, concrete, grass), and runway numbers. Position and rotate using the transform tools.

Taxiways and Aprons

• Taxiway Paths connect runways to parking areas
• Aprons define the ramp areas where aircraft park
• Choose surface materials that match the real airport

Parking Spots

Add parking positions (Gate, Ramp GA, Cargo) and set aircraft size categories. These determine where AI and player aircraft can spawn.

Add Buildings and Details

The Object Library contains hundreds of pre-made assets:

• Terminals, hangars, control towers
• Fuel trucks, ground equipment, vehicles
• Lights, signs, windsocks, fences
• Vegetation and barriers

Drag and drop objects, then scale, rotate, and position them. Small details — a windsock at the threshold, proper taxiway signs, realistic lighting — make a huge difference in immersion.

Terraforming

If the terrain doesn't match reality:

• Use the Terraform Tool to flatten, smooth, or raise/lower terrain
• Flatten areas for runways and aprons
• Create realistic terrain contours around the airport

Test Your Work

The beauty of MSFS developer mode is that you can test changes in real-time:

1. Build and save your project
2. Start a flight at your airport
3. Walk around, fly circuits, check everything looks right
4. Go back to the editor and iterate

Share Your Creation

Once you're happy:

1. Build the package from the Project Editor
2. Upload to flightsim.to or the MSFS Marketplace
3. Write a description and include screenshots

Tips for Beginners

• Start small — pick a simple GA airport, not Heathrow
• Use Google Maps/Earth as reference for layout and proportions
• Study existing freeware sceneries — download a few from flightsim.to and look at how they're structured
• Join the MSFS SDK Discord — the community is helpful and the developers are active
• Iterate frequently — test after every major change rather than building everything before your first look

The MSFS scenery creation pipeline has come a long way. What used to require deep technical knowledge and third-party tools is now largely possible within the sim itself. Give it a try — you might discover a new hobby within your hobby.