Microsoft revealed some new details about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 at Gamescom yesterday during the live stream. There’s a new Local Legend, National Championship Air Races gets a confirmed release date, City Update 16 has come out and Microsoft signs a license deal with Lufthansa to incorporate their aircraft liveries into the game including their 100-year anniversary liveries. Let’s have a look!

Air racing, Local Legends and City Update!

The first big item is National Championship Air Races. Air racing is officially returning with both the classic Reno Air Races course as well as a new Roswell Air Races route.

Five race classes will feature the P-51 Mustang, T-6 Texan, Aviat Pits Special S1S, L-39 aircraft and a new STOL class that appears to feature the X-Cub.

The previous outing here was a paid add-on, however, this one appears to be a free offering (no pricing was mentioned) and race availability will depend on the aircraft that you have available to you.

The package comes to MSFS 2024 on October 13, 2026. Look out for that and read more about it here.

Local Legend 25 is the Heinkel 70 Blitz. The 1930s era airliner was designed for speed and lead to some legendary other designs (like the He111 bomber of which you can see clear design lineage) and was, for its time, the fastest airliner in the world.

It is available now in the MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 Marketplaces for $14.99 USD. Read more about it here.

Next up, we have City Update 16. This is nine new areas rendered using high-fidelity TIN including Cagliari, Messina, Pisa, and Trieste. Check out the trailer for more visuals of these areas in motion.

City Update 16: Italy is now available in MSFS so go and pick it up if you’re looking for some new low level scenery to fly around in.

A new airline has given Microsoft the go-ahead to include their liveries in the sim. The announcement coincides with Lufthansa’s 100-year anniversary and it looks like we’ll see liveries added to a number of aircraft including the 747-8i, 787-10, and A320neo. Other aircraft pictured in the trailer, the A350 and A380, are likely separately available iniBuilds products so I’m a bit uncertain what the messaging is there (and indeed these liveries are already available there). More is written about it here.