Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
Reviewed for: FS2024 (native version)
Add-ons: FS Traffic, GSX Pro
DETAIL
I now own all Atelic’s airports and I’ve been impressed with every one, however this latest offering is undoubtedly their best work yet. There’s a very ‘Jo Erlend’ feel to this scenery, not just in the ramp vehicle animations (which are as convincing as any in 2026) but in some of the texture-work, too. The ground textures are particularly nice, although the markings look a touch too clean in places. That said, the terminal building and its apron are 21st century constructions so perhaps this is reflective of reality. Lining the runway edges are a selection of grids and drains, all fully modelled in 3D, rather than left to simple 2D overlays. This airport creates a good impression the moment you touch down, and this vibe continues as you begin your taxi to stand. The overall level of airside consistency is remarkable, with barely any areas appearing noticeably neglected. The only default Asobo assets I could find were windsocks, and few items of GSE, tucked away in remote corners of the field (around the maintenance hangars, mostly). Sadly, the airfield lighting is also default but that’s not particularly unusual, even in very high-quality airport scenery.
The terminal building is beautifully-modelled and features a believable amount of weathering, considering its relatively young age. It has an interior — which is a little more basic than that seen at their Luxembourg — but there’s more than enough detail to make it look the part (including the basement train station, which is a nice but somewhat needless touch). Perhaps a few more static passengers would help pad it out a little but that’s a very minor criticism. I really enjoyed watching the jetway connect to my A320 — it was slow and methodical, with a movement more representative of reality than the majority of custom jetways in the sim. I don’t know whether or not this slowness is deliberate but it did grab my attention due to its realism.
The terminal’s outdoor landside has been done to a similarly high standard and again, nothing feels neglected: custom vehicles (a lot!), a few static people (too few, if I were to nit-pick), and the usual plethora of fixed clutter one typically sees outside a terminal entrance. My only real complaint is that the modelled roads in this area — and around the airport generally — look a bit monochrome but they could easily have not bothered and left them to default satellite imagery.
Dresden is home to EFW, who perform maintenance on Lufthansa’s A380 fleet. Unsurprisingly, their hangar is a very prominent feature of the airport, and has been done to the same high standard as the terminal building. There are a couple of other large hangars at the northern end of the main apron and, like the EFW example, they feature interiors, plus an assortment of GSE clutter outside. At the risk of repeating myself, I have to say, this is one of the most consistent airports I’ve come across as far as quality is concerned. Even the smallest, most out-of-the-way structures (both airside and landside) have been crafted with care and attention. To top it all off, we have an all-encompassing, custom perimeter fence.
After dark, the airport continues to impress, with excellent quality night-lighting and no rogue Asobo globes (except the odd one floating above the surrounding highways). The terminal’s window tint is not quite as obvious at night — and therefore perhaps a fraction underdone — but this is another overly harsh criticism. BATC seemed to work flawlessly, based on my arrival and the (admittedly very few) movements I witnessed during my test.
PERFORMANCE
From what I can gather, Atelic’s intricate terminal buildings can present problems to those with medium-capability machines (I’ve even seen reports of major stutters from people with 4090s) but I found no performance problems whatsoever during my tests. Despite the abundant detail, it’s not a huge airport and there are rarely more than 2-3 airliners on the ground at any one time. I do have a beefy machine but it’s not top-of-the-pile like it was two years ago.
VERDICT
I’m really impressed by Atelic’s latest effort. It feels a little more refined than their earlier work and the very few weaknesses are all palatable (and easily corrected). The apron textures are fantastic, the landside is everything we’ve come to expect in 2026, and the consistency of the modelling is noteworthy. There are a few small annoyances — namely the default airfield lighting, too few static people, uniformity of custom roads and a handful of flags around the terminal entrances that should have been animated — but nothing that’s going to have you regretting your purchase.
In 2026, Atelic’s Dresden is up against some very strong competition in Germany, such as Aerosoft’s Stuttgart and MK’s Düsseldorf; and while it might not quite be as rounded as these two, it can certainly compete (and even excel) in many departments. If you can convincingly imitate the work of Jo Erlend or MK, you know you’re on the right track! There’s no doubt EDDC has earned Atelic a place in the list of top devs, and they’ve achieved this in an incredibly short space of time. We’ve seen others (Fly2High perhaps being the best example) show potential but then stagnate and never deliver anything special. Without doubt, I would place Dresden among the top 10 (maybe even top five) airports released so far this year.
On a final note, EDDC is around £11-12 in the current Atelic spring sale (Contrail have the best price for UK customers). For a pretty new scenery, of this quality, that really is a bargain!
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