iniBuilds A340 Airliner for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Released!

[mattY]

Our team has carefully recreated this long-range, four-engine widebody classic, with real-world performance data and pilot insights. Built from the ground up for MSFS 2024, this premium aircraft delivers a breathtaking level of realism and immersion, from the cockpit to the cabin, making it a must-have for serious flight simmers. The aircraft has been optimized in every respect, with a carefully managed model in terms of vertex count, node counts, LOD steps, draw calls, materials, and texture sizes. The plane this time round will even have a cabin for those users playing on Xbox! 

We’re extremely proud to announce that the iniBuilds A340 Airliner is out now and available to purchase via the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 in-game marketplace for $59.99 (*exclusive of VAT).

Built from extensive real-world data and pilot feedback, the iniBuilds A340 Airliner faithfully reproduces almost every cockpit switch, panel, and system. Whether you’re flying a long-haul route or taking the 'preighter' to deliver vital supplies to any corner of the globe, every detail has been carefully modeled for an authentic experience.

📽️ Watch the Trailer!

A340 Airliner Liveries 🎨
Our liveries are available to pre-download via the iniManager. Ensure you’re on the latest version (v2.4.8) before navigating to the ‘Liveries’ tab. Browse through a wide selection and download your favorites to get ready for your first flight!

Note: No liveries ship with the iniBuilds A340 Airliner by default; they must be downloaded individually.

Key Features of the iniBuilds A340 Airliner

🧑‍✈️ Realistic Flight Systems

The iniBuilds A340 Airliner features some deep and immersive system simulation, designed to replicate the real aircraft. You can expect the usual key features from our Airliner series to be included with the A340 Airliner too! Everything from a fully custom FMS, that contains the depth you’ve come to expect with SIDs, STARs, SEC flight plans and more.

To the custom LNAV/VNAV including; support of altitude/speed constraints, all of which is precisely flown by the bespoke autoflight system, ensuring a smooth journey from A to B. Please note that offsets will be coming soon. 

We’ve also included CPDLC integration, allowing you to stay up-to-speed with your flight, with the ability to request ATIS/METAR and use the free-text functionality to speak with ATC units throughout the duration of your flights. Our team has ensured that the quality of modelling is up to the standards of our Airliner series as well, with a highly-detailed cabin model, 1:1 flight deck model and an array of crisp, low performance impact textures to go alongside. All of this adds up to an iniBuilds Airliner experience that should keep you coming back to this aircraft for a long time to come!

Moving on to some quality of life features - the aircraft includes a fully configurable autosave system, allowing users to set intervals for automatic saves, create manual quick saves at any time, and rename or delete files as needed. 

CPDLC integration through platforms like Hoppie enables ATIS/METAR requests, mailbox functions, and full data-link communication with controllers, with the ATC source entirely user-configurable. 

Additional system realism comes from geo-specific GPS jamming, which can impact TCAS and GPWS, while the EFB tracks aircraft maintenance parameters such as oil, hydraulic, battery, brake, and tire wear. 

Legacy avionics are also represented with ISIS and standby instruments featuring caging animations, while both EIS1 and EIS2 options are supported to reflect the differences between classic CRT displays and modern glass cockpits. 

The aircraft also includes a Para Visual Indicator for low-visibility operations, an integrated printer for flight plans, takeoff data, and weather reports, and dynamic cabin temperature simulation that reacts to pack output, ambient conditions, and door states. 

There's also full terrain radar support, Navigraph and Lido chart integration, and GSX-compatible ground handling ensure an authentic and comprehensive operational experience, we'll dive into some more details on some of these below!

You can also read our "Systems Development Update", which goes into some extreme detail of the dev process that this aircraft went through in the build up to our release!

⚠️ECAM & Failures
The A340 Airliner is equipped with over 100 fully modeled ECAM pages covering critical ATA chapters including electrical, hydraulic, fuel, ice protection, engines, and navigation systems. Custom failure scenarios replicate real-world contingencies, from bird strikes to GPS jamming, with dynamic system degradations that challenge users to troubleshoot accurately. Combined with the EFB and in-cockpit interaction, this provides both a training and immersive operational experience, allowing users to engage with the aircraft’s systems at a highly realistic level.

🛫 True-to-Life Cockpit: EIS1 & EIS2
The iniBuilds A340 features two cockpit configurations, each represented both visually and in systems logic:

• EIS1: Classic CRT displays with a retro, low-res aesthetic, convex-faced PFDs, pixelated terrain masks, and traditional standby instruments (RMI, artificial horizon, altimeter, airspeed indicator). This cockpit also reflects its age with more “used and abused” panels, warmer panel lighting with defects (varying tones), old-style data loader visuals, and the option of a Para-Visual Indicator (PVI) instrument.
• EIS2: Serving as the primary development focus, EIS 2 has been refined and is a modern glass cockpit layout, with advanced displays and navigation functionality.

EIS1 and EIS2 aren’t just visual differences, the EIS1 ND faithfully reproduces quirks like route curves only appearing when a direct-to or hold is inserted, the terrain radar visual appearance, all capturing the character of older Airbus avionics.

💺 Cabin & Exterior Detailing
For the first time in an iniBuilds aircraft, light-based Ambient Occlusion bakes are applied throughout the cockpit, giving a realistic sense of depth. Tuned cockpit lighting, windshield rain with functioning wipers, and highly crisp PBR textures coming from thousands of photos and reference data all combined to make the cockpit feel alive. Users can also use functional tray tables, operational canopy windows, and an integrated printer.

In the cabin, the A340 Airliner delivers our most optimized and fully-featured 3D interior to date, now provided as the default option due to negligible performance impact. A default German airline–inspired three-class layout is included, complete with functioning galleys, lavatories (yes, with working flush buttons), ambient dimmable lighting, and seatbelt/no-smoking annunciators. The “preighter” option mirrors real-world A340 cargo conversion programs, loading the cabin with up to eight container types including live animals, medical supplies, food, and biohazards.

🛠️ Ground Service Equipment & Customisations
The iniBuilds A340 Airliner comes with a variety of interactive ground service equipment, including chocks, pitot/static port covers, engine covers, ASU, ACU, walkable engine and APU service stairs, and SATCOM antenna options. Additional features include brake fans, ice detectors, and multiple fuselage hatches and service panels that can be opened during walkarounds (fuel panel, potable water, gear doors, external power, and more). These walkaround interactables add another layer of realism for users who enjoy that walkaround phase as well.

🎧 Immersive Sound-suite
The A340 Airliner comes alive with a highly detailed soundsuite, featuring high-fidelity recordings of the CFM56 engines. Cockpit noises, flap motor whines, hydraulic sounds, and ambient cabin effects combine to deliver an audio experience that closely mirrors reality. Engine start, taxi, takeoff, and in-flight operations are all accompanied by accurate acoustic feedback, all of which increases that overall immersion factor for every phase of the flight!

🌍 Navigation & Flight Planning
Advanced navigation and flight planning are core to the A340 Airliner experience. Full MCDU, DCDU, and ACARS integration allows seamless data-link communication with controllers, weather requests, and route management. The aircraft supports CPDLC integration with Hoppie, SayIntentions, and BeyondATC, enabling real-time clearances and communications. Additional instruments between the cockpit options allow for different operational edges, including EIS1 and EIS2 displays, the ISIS system, standby instruments, and the Para Visual Indicator for low-visibility operations. The ND features a Minimum Off-Route Altitude (MORA) grid for enhanced terrain awareness, providing users with critical en-route obstacle information during every flight.

You can manage multiple flight plans at once, add your own custom waypoints, and fly full VNAV and LNAV procedures just like in the real world. The aircraft works seamlessly with Navigraph and SimBrief, giving you up-to-date charts, accurate SIDs and STARs, and all the route info you need. This means you can plan your flights properly, make changes on the go, and follow realistic procedures from departure to arrival, making every flight feel genuinely operational.

🏔️ Custom Terrain Radar & Weather
Situational awareness is further enhanced through custom terrain radar, wipeable rain masks, and a comprehensive suite of atmospheric effects. Realistic wing vortices, condensation trails, and vapor effects respond dynamically to weather conditions, while environmental interactions like rain on the windscreen or over-wing condensation contribute to a highly convincing visual and operational experience.

📱 Feature-Rich EFB & GSX Integration
The A340 Airliner's Electronic Flight Bag has received a major overhaul, offering a clean, intuitive interface for flight planning, ground operations, and maintenance management. Users can control ground equipment such as GPUs, chocks, maintenance engine covers & so much more, while SimBrief integration allows direct flight plan import and auto pre-planning. Geo-referenced charts, Lido integration, and customizable day/night chart modes. The EFB also includes a comprehensive aircraft maintenance system, tracking wear and tear on oil, hydraulics, brakes, tires, batteries, and the APU, with a failure manager to trigger ECAM procedures, simulate bird strikes, or run custom scenarios. Dynamic dirt, weathering, and snow accumulation can be applied automatically or adjusted via a slider for immediate visual updates. The EFB also houses a takeoff and landing performance tool and full custom options management, letting you customise everything from autosave behavior to third-party integrations.

✈️ Flight Model & Performance
The flight model of the A340 Airliner has been carefully developed using MSFS 2024’s advanced aerodynamic systems, including a new fuselage object implementation that ensures accurate CFD-based behavior. On the ground, the aircraft benefits from the simulator’s new taxi physics, providing realistic weight and response through the nose wheel, with skidding possible under aggressive inputs. Wing flex dynamically adapts to fuel load, braking, and environmental factors, while the custom flap and slat simulation allows precise control in slats-only configurations. Engine behavior includes EGT, fuel flow, FADEC, oil pressure, and thrust refinements, mimicking the A340’s famously underpowered acceleration and climb performance. Fly-by-wire logic has been tuned for heavier, less reactive handling compared to modern Airbus models, while flare and rotation techniques are critical to avoid tail strikes. Every detail, from takeoff to touchdown, has been carefully calibrated to ensure that the aircraft behaves like its real-world counterpart.

🎨 Visual Effects & Immersion
The A340 Airliner’s visual effects have been designed to immerse the user fully. Engine heat blur, exhaust distortion, and realistic condensation effects bring the aircraft to life, while cold start smoke, dynamic over-wing vortices, and vapor trails react to environmental conditions. Combined with the highly detailed exterior and interior modeling, these effects elevate the aircraft beyond visual fidelity to deliver a fully engaging simulation.

Here's a few more pictures of this beauty 😍

Welcome To:
To provide an even closer look at what’s coming, we’ve created a special “Welcome To:” video which you can view below! In the video, Cameron takes you across the globe while showcasing nearly every aspect of the aircraft and its functionality. You’ll start with a detailed walk-around down in Cape Town, experience an approach into Wolf’s Fang Runway in Antarctica to speak about the handling characteristics, see an engine failure scenario with a look at CPDLC functionality, and even check out the differences between EIS 1 and EIS 2. The video highlights our custom cockpit displays, realistic flight model, and the new EFB in action, giving you a complete preview of the A340 Airliner and all that’s to come!

To close out… we want to extend our extreme thanks and gratitude to all of you for your continued support. Every comment, critique, and piece of feedback from the community has driven us to ensure that this aircraft is of the highest-quality possible, so thank you!

We are beyond thrilled to finally share this with you.

Thank you for being part of this journey, we can’t wait for you to take to the skies in the A340 Airliner!

iniBuilds Team ❤️