Today Lufthansa Systems officially confirmed via press release a revolutionary partnership with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
The press release confirms that Lufthansa Systems’ popular Lido navigation data and charts will be included in the simulator and form the basic for its navigation systems.
This partnership is revolutionary because flight simulators (including Microsoft Flight Simulator) have so far failed to provide their users with access to navigation charts, which are an essential part of simulating real-world aviation.
Without charts, users lack essential information on how to perform important tasks like approaching an airport or leaving it after take-off, without mentioning things as deceptively simple as taxiing from their parking gate to the runway without having to use unrealistic aids.
Until now, users had to find the charts online (which is hit and miss, and often returns outdated results), or resort to relatively expensive third-party subscription services to gain access to the data.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will be the first in the history of flight simulation to provide its users with everything they need to correctly navigate at no additional cost, which is in line with Microsoft’s effort to provide a relatively complete simulation package out of the box.
This is a game-changer because other players in the market have always failed pretty miserably on this front, forcing their users to spend large sums in order to achieve a complete experience, and contributing to making the simulation hobby less accessible to newcomers and more insular.
The Lido data provided by Lufthansa Systems, which includes SIDs, STARs, approach procedures, airports, navaids, waypoints, airways, and terminal area procedures, has been used and continues to be used in commercial aviation for more than 20 years, and users will get access to the same charts used by real pilots both on PC and Xbox.
The press release includes a comment from Philipp Barzen, Head of Lido at Lufthansa Systems.
“Microsoft Flight Simulator is not only a globally beloved game by aviation enthusiasts but stands for the most realistic flight simulations for private use for decades. I, myself, am also an enthusiastic Microsoft Flight Simulator user, and I am delighted that other aviation enthusiasts can now experience this realistic simulation with our professional data.”
We also hear from Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
“With the Lido data and charts from Lufthansa Systems, we can offer our customers a more realistic and precise experience. This new data will add a higher coverage of regions and new airports to explore.
As Microsoft Flight Simulator becomes even more professional, it is a great opportunity for the players to develop their skills and safely navigate extreme flight
situations, pushing the limits of aircraft and their own abilities.”
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will release on November 18 for PC and Xbox Series X|S. You can enjoy our hands-on preview with plenty of interesting details for your perusal.
You can also watch our interview with Head of MSFS Jorg Neumann and Asobo CEO Sebastian Wloch, another with Asobo CCO David Dedeine, and one featuring Chris Burnett of Working Title and Brandon Yaeger of Got Friends about their work on MSFS 2024.
Last, but not least, you can take a look at our A-10 flight through the Grand Canyon, our first look at the extensive pilot customization, another at the first mission of the Career Mode, a video featuring the new walk-around move showing off a Boeing 737 MAX up close and personal, and a challenge with the A-10 over the Blue Ridge Mountains.
