Fenix A320 Family: an overview for those who want to Airbus for real

What is included in the family

Fenix A320 Family is a line of CEO-version Airbus: A319, A320, and A321, with two engine options CFM56 and IAE V2500. The developer regularly expands the lineup — Fenix planned a separate NEO package (A320NEO/A321NEO) with reworked system logic and updated ECAM, so by the time of purchase it is worth checking the current family composition directly in the catalog.

Why it is called study-level

This is not just a beautiful model with working buttons. Fenix has its own system engine, realistic hydraulics, FMGS that behaves close to the real Airbus FCOM, and a failure system with almost three hundred items. If you are interested in IFR flights by procedures, VATSIM or just want to understand how Airbus really works — here is something to dig into for weeks.

The aircraft handles honestly and responsively in manual flying — many note that it is even more pleasant in handling than other A320 implementations in MSFS. The weak point is the sensitivity of the rudder/tiller on the ground, you will have to get used to taxiing along the centerline.

MSFS 2024: compatibility status

Fenix was one of the first among study-level aircraft developers to adapt the A320 Family for MSFS 2024 — the update was released literally a couple of weeks after the simulator itself launched.

Since then, experimental support for 4x simulation acceleration has been added, fuel consumption logic has been refined for accurate EFOB calculation, fly-by-wire has been tweaked, and working wipers have been added for the 2024 version. There are nuances you should know in advance: the extended walk-around mode (exclusive to MSFS 2024) has not been introduced yet, cockpit lighting is sometimes darker than expected, and entering the cockpit in some builds is done via a key combination instead of a mouse click. The developer updates the aircraft quickly — patches for major simulator updates usually come out within a few days. Performance Custom system simulation is not free in terms of resources. On mid-range hardware (Ryzen 5600 / i5-12600 + RTX 3070 level), FPS drops relative to the default A320neo are usually around 8-15%. On top-tier systems, the difference is almost unnoticeable. Occasional crashes may occur in complex scenarios — this is generally typical for all study-level aircraft of this caliber in MSFS. Does it work with GSX Pro Yes, and this is a nice detail: Fenix supports GSX and can synchronize passenger boarding through GSX with the schedule set directly in the EFB aircraft. Who it’s suitable for and who it’s not It’s worth getting if you really care about procedural depth, you fly IFR or on networks like VATSIM, and you’re ready to invest time in learning the systems. It’s not recommended if you need an aircraft for relaxed weekend VFR flights — for the same price, the default A320neo or a simpler aircraft will cover the task without extra complexity and without FPS drops. Check the current family lineup, available variants, and price on the product page in the X-Shop catalog.