iniBuilds has formally announced that it is developing Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, adding one of Europe’s busiest and most complex airports to its growing scenery lineup.
That announcement did more than add another airport to a development roadmap.
Within a day, one competing developer had canceled its own Charles de Gaulle project, while another publicly confirmed that it would continue development despite now facing direct competition from iniBuilds.
For flight simmers who have been waiting for a modern high-detail version of Paris CDG, things just became considerably more interesting.
iniBuilds Heads to Paris
iniBuilds revealed Paris Charles de Gaulle as part of its August scenery development update.
The developer describes LFPG as one of Europe’s largest and most important international airports, offering everything from short-haul European operations to long-haul passenger flights and major cargo activity.
The company says significant research work has already been completed covering the airport’s layout, terminal architecture, airside infrastructure and surrounding environment.
Paris CDG is not exactly a weekend scenery project.
Its sprawling collection of terminals, satellite buildings, taxiways, cargo areas, hotels, roads and rail infrastructure make it one of the more complicated airports a scenery developer could choose to recreate.
iniBuilds says the project is still early enough that it is actively looking for help from people with first-hand experience at the airport.
iniBuilds Wants Help From People Who Know CDG
One unusual part of the announcement is a direct request for assistance from the aviation community.
iniBuilds is asking current and former employees, pilots, ground handlers, airport operations staff, engineers and others familiar with Charles de Gaulle to contribute local knowledge and reference information.
The company says those details can help it reproduce operational areas and terminal characteristics that may be difficult to understand through ordinary photography or publicly available reference material.
That approach suggests iniBuilds is aiming for considerably more than a collection of recognizable terminal buildings.
It wants the airport to feel operationally believable as well.
Then azrsim Stepped Away
The iniBuilds announcement immediately changed the competitive landscape.
azrsim had previously listed Charles de Gaulle among its planned projects, but following the iniBuilds reveal, the developer canceled its own LFPG scenery.
According to reporting on the developer’s Discord statement, azrsim said it was giving its support to iniBuilds and expected the company to produce a strong rendition of the airport. The developer will instead shift its attention to another project that has not yet been revealed.
That effectively removed one contender from what had been shaping up to be a crowded race.
But not everyone decided to leave.
Pilot Experience Sim Says It Is Staying in the Fight
French developer Pilot Experience Sim, commonly known as PESIM, responded very differently.
PESIM confirmed that development of its own Paris Charles de Gaulle scenery will continue for both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and MSFS 2024.
The developer acknowledged that iniBuilds is a direct business partner and said it regretted seeing a partner move into direct competition on a project of this scale. At the same time, PESIM said it accepts that competition is part of the market and that its own development will continue unchanged.
That makes this considerably more interesting than a typical “two developers make the same airport” situation.
iniBuilds currently sells Pilot Experience Sim products through its own store, confirming that the two companies already have an existing commercial relationship.
Now they are preparing competing versions of the same major airport.
PESIM Is Leaning on Its Home-Field Advantage
Pilot Experience Sim is emphasizing its French roots as one of its biggest advantages.
The company says its team has direct familiarity with the area and has accumulated a large collection of detailed on-site reference material for the project.
PESIM also says its local presence should help it keep the scenery updated as Charles de Gaulle continues to change in the real world.
That could be especially important at an airport this large.
Major hubs are constantly evolving, with construction projects, gate changes, taxiway modifications and terminal updates making older scenery obsolete surprisingly quickly.
PESIM says its goal remains to produce an exceptionally detailed, optimized and faithful rendition of the airport.
Two Different Strategies
The developing competition is interesting because the two projects appear to be approaching CDG from slightly different angles.
iniBuilds brings the resources and experience of a developer that has produced a growing portfolio of large international airports and is actively seeking additional community and industry reference material.
Pilot Experience Sim is emphasizing local knowledge, direct reference gathering and ongoing familiarity with the airport.
For customers, those differences could ultimately matter more than which version arrives first.
Performance, terminal detail, airside accuracy, jetway behavior, night lighting, taxiway markings and ongoing updates will all play into the decision.
And at an airport the size of CDG, optimization could become just as important as visual fidelity.
A beautifully modeled Terminal 2 is less exciting when final approach turns into an experimental slideshow.
Why Charles de Gaulle Is Such a Big Deal
Paris Charles de Gaulle is one of those airports that naturally belongs in a serious long-haul simulator setup.
It is the primary hub for Air France and one of Europe’s most important international gateways.
The airport handles a massive mixture of operations, including European short-haul flights, transatlantic services, Middle Eastern and Asian routes and significant cargo traffic.
That makes it an obvious destination for aircraft ranging from the Airbus A220 and Boeing 737 to the A350, 777 and A380.
Despite that importance, high-detail options specifically aimed at MSFS 2024 have remained relatively limited, which helps explain why the iniBuilds announcement generated so much attention.
The Consumer May Be the Real Winner
Multiple developers building the same airport can create uncomfortable commercial situations, especially when those companies already work together.
But from a consumer standpoint, competition can be useful.
Two developers chasing the same airport means both have an incentive to differentiate their products.
One may offer better visual detail.
Another may perform better.
One could deliver stronger ground operations or jetway integration.
The other might provide more frequent real-world updates.
And pilots ultimately get to choose which approach fits their priorities.
That is a much healthier situation than waiting years for one developer to produce the only available version.
There Is Still No Release Date
Neither iniBuilds nor Pilot Experience Sim has announced a firm release date for its Charles de Gaulle scenery.
iniBuilds describes its project as being in development and says more previews will be shared as work progresses.
Pilot Experience Sim has similarly confirmed that development continues but has not announced when its version will reach customers.
So this is not yet a race to the checkout button.
It is a race through development.
Paris Just Became One to Watch
Flight simulation scenery development usually happens fairly quietly.
A developer announces an airport, posts screenshots for several months and eventually puts a price tag underneath them.
Paris Charles de Gaulle has taken a different route.
One announcement from iniBuilds immediately caused one competitor to cancel and another to publicly reaffirm its commitment to the same airport.
Now two established developers are headed toward the same enormous French hub with different strengths and different approaches.
For MSFS pilots, that means the long wait for a modern Charles de Gaulle may eventually end with something better than a single option.
It may end with a choice.
