The iniBuilds A380 Airliner will arrive on the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Marketplace next week, according to the developer’s Facebook announcement. The news follows the September 8 release of an extended video introducing the aircraft and its operating features. Originally announced in 2019, the project now has a launch window after several years of development. An exact release day and price were not specified in the latest post.
The planned package includes Rolls-Royce Trent 900 and Engine Alliance GP7200 variants, with individual sounds, starting behaviour, thrust response and cockpit indications. There is also a choice of aircraft generation. According to the August development update, the EFB offers early Batch 2 and modern Batch 7 configurations, changing flight guidance, FMS capabilities, display behaviour and procedures. These options allow users to match the simulated systems more closely to the period they are flying, alongside the choice of engine fitted to the airframe.
Flight Planning and Cockpit Systems
Flight preparation centres on a redesigned Electronic Flight Bag with SimBrief integration and controls for payload and fuel. The June systems preview also describes Navigraph charts and airport navigation through OANS, while Hoppie and SayIntentions support provides CPDLC and ACARS communications. Within the flight management system, the announced functions cover route changes, holds, constraints, alternate planning and step climbs. Managed and selected guidance modes are supported. ECAM modelling extends to warnings, status processing and phase-based alert inhibition, with normal and abnormal system pages.
The new Welcome to the iniBuilds A380 Airliner – Part 1 presentation shows how these systems fit into a flight. Its chapters cover an exterior walkaround, engine starts, taxiing, take-off and climb before moving into engine vibration, ECAM failure management and a return to Dubai. Fuel jettison and an engine-out landing are included, followed by a tour of the onboard tools. The video runs for 1 hour, 39 minutes and 41 seconds, giving readers time to follow the procedures and explanations in the developer’s own demonstration.
Ground Operations and Cabin
The announced persistence system carries fuel quantities and system conditions, along with switch positions, between flights. It also retains water use and waste accumulation, so servicing matters across successive sectors. The developer’s August report details GSX V2 integration and multiple jetways at compatible airports. Body-gear steering and progressive suspension compression represent ground handling, while dynamic wing flex responds to aerodynamic loads and turbulence. During runway operations, RAAS supplies advisory callouts and Brake to Vacate predicts exit performance, with automatic turnaround-time calculations also included.
Behind the flight deck, the interior preview describes an Emirates-style four-class cabin, with shower spas, a lounge and bar, several lighting configurations and a star-ceiling effect. Sound changes with the listener’s position as they move between passenger areas, boarding doors and the cockpit; open doors also admit exterior noise. Switches and other controls use movement-based interaction sounds. The accompanying screenshots show the development build, including the illuminated staircase linking the decks, and remain marked as work in progress. All images in this article are credited to iniBuilds.
For a closer look at the practical controls, the presentation reaches its EFB introduction at 1:10:35, maintenance and aircraft wear at 1:17:55, and failure configuration at 1:22:30. The onboard information terminal tour begins at 1:31:40, followed by take-off and landing calculations at 1:33:55. These chapters provide a way to explore individual functions without watching the entire demonstration in one sitting. Further release updates can be followed through the developer’s Discord channel and official announcements forum.
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