Cycle 2110 has been released! Update your tools and add-on aircraft FMS databases using the FMS Data Manager, and using the Navigraph Navdata Center for MSFS 2020 users. The current Jeppesen charts are already available through the Navigraph Charts apps.


Navigraph offers an update service for the navigational database in Microsoft Flight Simulator, also known as MSFS 2020. The service installs current navdata directly into your MSFS 2020 from the industry leading provider Jeppesen.

The Navigraph navdata team is working actively on developing the navdata service to offer a realistic flight simulation experience. Through customer reports in forum.navigraph.com, we have been able to further enhance the realism when using current navdata from Navigraph by introducing real-world beam widths for localizers in MSFS.

What is a localizer?

A localizer is providing the lateral guidance of an instrument landing system (ILS). When following the localizer, combined with the glideslope that provides vertical guidance down to the runway, you will be at the correct altitude and aligned with the centerline.

Introducing real-world localizer beam width values
Earlier this year, we received user feedback through our support forum that the localizer beam width is set to a fixed value of 5 degrees in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Although many localizer beam widths in the real world have a value of 5 degrees, this is not always the case. The following side by side comparison using Little NavMap at Zanesville Municipal Airport, KZZV, shows the correct beam width is 6 degrees (to the right), compared to default beam width of 5 degrees (to the left).
From AIRAC Cycle 2110 and onwards, Navigraph updates the localizers to reflect their real-world beam width values that are in the primary range of 2 to 6 degrees.

If you are interested in updating your MSFS 2020 with worldwide Jeppesen navdata from Navigraph, please check out this article where we guide you on how to do so.

How can we improve?
Do you have suggestions on how we can improve our services? Let us know in forum.navigraph.com, and we’ll be happy to know what you think we can do to further enhance your flight simulation experience!

Rafał Milczarski, the CEO of Poland’s flag carrier LOT Polish Airlines, has once again voiced the airline’s dissatisfaction with Boeing over the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, in addition to the ongoing issues surrounding the Boeing 787

Speaking to journalists at Expo 2020, for which LOT Polish launched a new route from Warsaw to Dubai, onet reports Milczarski saying (translated):

“We are conducting and have conducted talks with Boeing about the issue. So far, these talks have not resulted in an outcome we expected, so we will be using all available solutions to obtain compensation.”

Milczarski did not reveal the details of these talks, but he did add the following:

“I think we will find a solution. (…) We will not let go and we cannot let go of anything that Boeing owes us.”
He stated that LOT Polish Airlines suffered large losses as a result of the Boeing 737 MAX grounding and that it is only “normal” for the airline to make a financial claim against Boeing.


Last month, it emerged that LOT Polish was so frustrated with Boeing over not being paid compensation for the MAX grounding that it was considering becoming an Airbus customer. Currently, LOT operates no Airbus aircraft in its fleet and all its jetliners are Boeing types.

LOT Polish Airlines did not receive any compensation for its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft being grounded for two years because there are no written guarantees in its leasing contract that compensation is due as a result of technical problems.

Boeing is now relying on this fact to deny LOT compensation. Although the matter appears reasonably straightforward, LOT does not think so. Krzysztof Moczulski, the spokesman, said at the time:

“We are in the process of negotiations, but at the same time we are considering a lawsuit.”


LOT Polish also continues to be frustrated with Boeing over the ongoing issues with the 787s. These issues have caused operational difficulties for LOT Polish Airlines, including the delay of a new long-haul route launch to China.

Last month, it was revealed that LOT had decided it would not be picking up the two Boeing 787 aircraft that are parked in the Mojave Desert in the United States and waiting to be delivered.

The reason that LOT cited for this is that the long-haul market out of and into Europe continues to be deeply affected by the ongoing travel restrictions.

How do you think LOT’s expectations of compensation payments from Boeing will play out? Let us know what you think of this story in the comments below?

LOT Polish Airlines

Airbus has resumed work on a brand new digital Final Assembly Line (FAL) for A320 family aircraft in the former A380 Lagardère facility in Toulouse.

The new digital FAL will replace one of the original assembly lines for the A320 at the companies headquarters which currently can’t produce A321 variants. Currently only FAL’s at Hamburg, Germany and Mobile, USA can assemble A321s

The facility, which is due to be operational in 2022, and plans to introduce A321 assembly were originally put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airbus says that the higher rates of production of the A321 once the FAL is open will assist in the entry into service of the A321XLR.

The resumption of work on the modernisation shows that Airbus has confidence that the civil aircraft market will return to pre-pandemic levels between 2023 and 2025 and according to Airbus, there are currently 5,650 A320 family airlines in the order backlog.

The wings for all the A320 airliner variants are manufactured at Broughton in North Wales.

Written by: Nick Harding

President and CEO of Scandinavian airline SAS, Rickard Gustafson, will leave the airline after more than a decade in his role. The executive will depart SAS by July at the latest, taking up the president and CEO position at a ball bearing manufacturer. There’s no word yet on who will replace him.

Gustafson to leave SAS by July

Long time CEO of Scandinavian airline SAS, Rickard Gustafson, has come to the end of his time at the helm of this successful airline. Gustafson was appointed President and CEO of SAS in September 2010 and has had a decade in charge of the company. He replaced Mats Jansson as the boss of the airline.

SAS reports that Gustafson will now enter a transition period, and will officially leave the company on July 1st at the very latest. Chairman Carsten Dilling commented on the move, saying,

“I’m both disappointed and sorry that Rickard wants to move on from his important role in SAS. At the same time on behalf of the Board of SAS, I want to thank Rickard for his fantastic performance during his ten years as President and CEO. Under Rickard’s management SAS has made a remarkable turnaround, from loss to several years of profitable performance. Recently he has led the company with safe hands in the first part of the toughest crisis in the company’s 75 year history, the pandemic.

“Most of all, Rickard will be remembered for his excellent leadership in SAS’s sustainability initiatives, which was the starting point for a new sustainability era in the whole aviation industry.”

Rickard was instrumental in launching the SAS restructuring program 4Excellence Next Generation. This saw the company undertaking deeper cost-cutting initiatives than the first iteration of the program. The first round had seen the airline divest its stakes in other companies, including British Midland, Spanair and airBaltic. This second iteration involved more internal cost-cutting measures, but saw SAS return to profit in that financial year.

As Dilling mentioned, Gustafson has been leading the charge on fleet renewal and sustainability initiatives. In 2018, it placed an order for an additional 50 A320neo aircraft, as it moved towards becoming an all-Airbus airline.

As well as taking on newer, more efficient aircraft, and retiring older types, SAS has also been integrating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into its operations. Since December 2018, flights from SFO have been supplied with SAF from Shell and SkyNRG, and it is the airline’s ambition to only use bio jet-fuel on domestic routes by 2030.

Gustafson to move to SKF

Rickard Gustafson isn’t ready to retire yet; rather, the experienced executive is making a sideways move to a new company, and new industry. Announced this morning, he will move to SKF (Svenska Kullagerfabriken – Swedish Ball Bearing Factory) as president and CEO. Speaking about his appointment, Gustafson said,

“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to join SKF, a highly respected company within its industry. SKF has a clearly defined strategic direction, and I look forward to engaging with the organization and further accelerate the ongoing transformation into an even more customer focused, innovative, efficient and sustainable business.”

While it’s a broad move for Gustafson, he comes from a very diverse background. Before joining SAS, he worked in financial services consulting, several senior roles at GE Capital and, most recently, as CEO of the Codan Insurance Group.

Nevertheless, he will be missed in the European aviation scene. Simple Flying wishes Gustafson all the best in his new role, and looks forward to hearing who his replacement will be.

Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, has confirmed half his A380s won’t fly for the airline again. Speaking at a CAPA Live event today, Mr Al Baker said the A380 was one of the worst planes in the sky when it came to emissions and overall efficiency. The airline isn’t operating any of its A380s at the moment. Expanding on the subject, Mr Al Baker went on to say in the future, only half of Qatar’s A380s will fly again.

“And when we operate them (the A380s again), we will only operate half the numbers we have,” he said.