How to Create Your Own Airport Scenery for 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, an underserved regional airport, or a fictional strip on a tropical island, the built-in SDK tools make it surprisingly accessible — even if you've never made anything for a sim before.

Getting Started: Enable Developer Mode

1. Launch MSFS 2024
2. Go to Options → General Options → Developers
3. Set Developer Mode = ON
4. A developer toolbar appears at the top of the screen

This gives you access to all the scenery creation tools.

The Workflow

Here's the high-level process:

1. Create a project — this is the container for your scenery files
2. Place the airport — define its location, ICAO code, and basic properties
3. Build the layout — runways, taxiways, aprons, parking positions
4. Add objects — terminals, hangars, towers, ground equipment
5. Polish — lighting, signs, vegetation, terraforming
6. Test and export — fly it, fix issues, package for sharing

Step 1: Create Your Project

From the developer toolbar:

• Click Project Editor → New Project
• Choose a working folder (e.g., Documents/MSFSProjects/)
• Name your project and package

Step 2: Create the Airport

In the Scenery Editor:

• Click Create New Airport
• Enter the ICAO code (use ZZZZ for fictional airports)
• Set the airport name, city, and country
• Position it on the map

Step 3: Build the Layout

Runways

• Add a runway and set length, width, surface type (asphalt, concrete, grass)
• Assign runway numbers (e.g., 09/27)
• Position and rotate using the transform tools

Taxiways

• Draw taxiway paths connecting runway to parking areas
• Set widths and surface types

Aprons and Parking

• Draw apron areas for aircraft parking
• Add parking spots with appropriate aircraft size categories (small, medium, heavy)
• These determine where AI and player aircraft can spawn

Step 4: Add Objects

The Object Library contains hundreds of pre-made models:

• Terminals and hangars
• Control towers
• Fuel trucks and ground equipment
• Fences, barriers, and signs

Drag, drop, rotate, and scale. For simple airports, the default library covers most needs.

Step 5: Polish It

Lighting

Add runway edge lights, taxiway lights, PAPI/VASI approach lighting, and beacon lights. Proper lighting transforms a daytime-only airport into a 24/7 operation.

Terraforming

If the terrain is uneven under your airport, use the Terraform Tool to flatten and smooth the ground. Pay attention to the area around the runway threshold — bumpy terrain here looks obvious.

Vegetation and Details

Hand-placed trees, grass areas, and road markings bring the surroundings to life. Small details matter more than you'd think.

Step 6: Test and Package

• Use the Build function in the Project Editor
• The scenery loads automatically in the sim
• Fly around it, check for issues, adjust
• When happy, export as a package for sharing on flightsim.to or other platforms

Tips for Beginners

• Start small — recreate a simple GA airfield before attempting a major international airport
• Use real references — Google Maps satellite view, airport diagrams, and photos help enormously
• Check the MSFS SDK documentation — it's more thorough than you might expect
• Join the community — the MSFS modding Discord and forums have experienced creators happy to help
• Iterate — your first version won't be perfect, and that's fine. Ship it and improve.

The tools are there, the community is supportive, and there are thousands of airports around the world that could use a quality scenery representation. Your local airfield might just be the next one.