Asobo Studio released Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on 19 November 2024 as a separate product from the 2020 sim, built around a career mode rather than free flight alone. The Standard Edition ships more than 65 aircraft and the world engine draws on over 500 TIN cities, more than 100,000 square kilometres of countryside photogrammetry, roughly 1.5 billion buildings and close to 3 trillion trees. Career progression runs through more than 20 certifications, each opening specialisations from skydive drops up to heavy cargo.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Courchevel Altiport | Career mode with certifications basics | Search and Rescue | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla | Specialisations and mission payouts mastery | Search and Rescue | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Innsbruck Airport | Aircraft wear and maintenance + gear | Skydive or Search and Rescue | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Paro International Airport | Build optimization | Skydive | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy | Min-max | Skydive or Charter Service VIP | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Courchevel Altiport)
A short sloping strip in the French Alps with no go-around option once committed. It is one of the handcrafted airports carried into the 2024 sim and the standard test of whether your approach discipline is real.
Level/Difficulty: Attempt after the PPL, in a light single Key Rewards: Slope landing practice, mountain wind handling, a benchmark for approach accuracy
What to Do in Courchevel Altiport
- Learn Career mode with certifications. You start unlicensed and buy your way up through the Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Instrument Rating and Airline Transport Pilot Licence, with a separate Jet ATP rating on top. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Search and Rescue as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Aim for touchdown under 200 feet per minute of vertical speed. That is the threshold for the landing bonus, and anything above 400 feet per minute counts as a hard landing with maintenance consequences.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Career mode with certifications fundamentals
- Search and Rescue selected and functional
- Courchevel Altiport main content cleared
- Ready for Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla
Phase 2: Early Game (Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla)
The Himalayan strip at roughly 2,845 metres elevation, with a pronounced upslope runway and terrain on the approach. Density altitude changes every performance number you thought you knew.
Level/Difficulty: Intermediate, with turboprop or STOL experience Key Rewards: High-altitude performance practice, one-way runway technique, bush and cargo contract scenery
What to Do in Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla
- Work on Specialisations and mission payouts. Certifications unlock specialisations, each gated behind a career level and a run of well-scored missions. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Be stabilised by 500 feet above ground level or go around. The career scoring treats a rushed approach and a salvaged landing worse than a clean second attempt.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Innsbruck Airport.
- Consider whether Skydive might suit your playstyle better than Search and Rescue.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Specialisations and mission payouts integrated into gameplay
- Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX acquired
- Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla fully cleared
- Ready for Innsbruck Airport
Phase 3: Mid Game (Innsbruck Airport)
An Austrian valley airport hemmed in by mountains where the approach requires a curved arrival rather than a straight-in. One of the handcrafted airports and a genuine airline-level challenge in weather.
Level/Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced, best after the Instrument Rating Key Rewards: Circling approach practice, mountain wave and turbulence handling, jet operations into tight terrain
What to Do in Innsbruck Airport
- Master Aircraft wear and maintenance. Aircraft you own accumulate wear and need mechanics, parts and downtime rather than resetting between flights. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Cessna 172 Skyhawk. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Take cargo contracts first if you want capital. Freight is the fastest reliable earner in the early career and the aircraft that fly it, principally the Cessna 208B, are cheap to buy and maintain.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Rebuilt world engine for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Aircraft wear and maintenance mastered
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk acquired or in progress
- Innsbruck Airport fully cleared
- Ready for Paro International Airport
Phase 4: Late Game (Paro International Airport)
The Bhutanese airport ringed by peaks, reached through a valley approach with manoeuvring all the way to short final. It is regularly listed among the hardest commercial arrivals in the world and it flies that way in the sim.
Level/Difficulty: Advanced, airliner or turboprop Key Rewards: Valley navigation, hand-flown visual arrivals, high terrain awareness practice
What to Do in Paro International Airport
- Finalize your build. You should be running Skydive or Search and Rescue with optimized gear.
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Never accept a job without 30 to 45 minutes of fuel reserve on top of the planned burn. Weather changes en route and diverting without reserve turns a paid contract into a maintenance bill.
- Companies and hired pilots optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk upgraded to max
- Paro International Airport fully cleared
- Ready for Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy
Phase 5: Endgame (Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy)
The Caribbean strip with a hill on the threshold and a beach at the far end, giving you a very short usable runway. Crosswinds are common and the approach descends steeply over a road.
Level/Difficulty: Intermediate, light twin or turboprop Key Rewards: Short-field technique, crosswind landings, charter contracts in island scenery
What to Do in Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy
- Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Keep at least 50 percent of your cash before buying an aircraft. Ownership brings maintenance and parts costs, and a fleet you cannot service sits on the ground earning nothing.
- The endgame loop: run Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Charter Service VIP for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Companies and hired pilots mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Gustaf III Airport, Saint Barthelemy fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Buying an expensive aircraft before the certification that would let you fly profitable contracts with it.
- Landing at 500 or more feet per minute repeatedly and paying for it in maintenance instead of collecting the landing bonus.
- Flying contracts with minimum fuel and diverting on weather, which turns a profitable job into a loss.
- Grinding low-paying missions instead of the specific mission types that qualify you for the next specialisation.
- Expecting 2020 add-ons and marketplace purchases to transfer wholesale into the 2024 sim.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Aim for touchdown under 200 feet per minute of vertical speed. That is the threshold for the landing bonus, and anything above 400 feet per minute counts as a hard landing with maintenance consequences.
- Be stabilised by 500 feet above ground level or go around. The career scoring treats a rushed approach and a salvaged landing worse than a clean second attempt.
- Take cargo contracts first if you want capital. Freight is the fastest reliable earner in the early career and the aircraft that fly it, principally the Cessna 208B, are cheap to buy and maintain.
- Never accept a job without 30 to 45 minutes of fuel reserve on top of the planned burn. Weather changes en route and diverting without reserve turns a paid contract into a maintenance bill.
- Keep at least 50 percent of your cash before buying an aircraft. Ownership brings maintenance and parts costs, and a fleet you cannot service sits on the ground earning nothing.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Guides
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Overview
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Best Builds
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Tier List
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Beginner's Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Tips & Tricks
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Weapons Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Combat Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Boss Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Maps & Locations
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Crafting Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Classes & Characters
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