Flying in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward changes how you play. I’ve flown dozens of hours there, and honestly, once you can take off the game opens up — faster travel, new gathering spots, fewer tedious runs. You won’t get flight just by hitting a level; there are story checkpoints and aether currents to collect, and yes, some zones make you work for it.
Heavensward launched on June 23, 2015 (patch 3.0), and as of 2025 the core flight rules for its zones are the same: own the expansion, reach at least level 50, progress the main story far enough for each area, and gather that area’s aether currents. In my experience, doing the MSQ and currents together saves time. I’ve noticed people spread the tasks out and then regret the backtrack — don’t be that person.
🚀 Quick Requirements
- Own Heavensward (released June 23, 2015).
- Be level 50+ (you’ll usually be higher by the time you reach these zones).
- Complete zone-specific main story progression up to the local checkpoint.
- Collect the required aether currents for that zone (typically 15 per zone: about 10 overworld, 5 from quests — there are exceptions).
Why this setup? It forces you to learn the area before bypassing it. I get why some players hate it — you might think it’s busywork — but it prevents skipping vital story and map knowledge that helps later.
📍 How Aether Currents Work (simple)
Aether currents are glowing wisps you pick up in the world or get as quest rewards. Collect enough and the zone allows flight. Most zones need roughly 15 currents; a few vary. Collecting them also unlocks the map’s altitude shading so you can see vertical routes. Surprisingly, the quest currents are often the easiest to snag because they’re tied to key NPCs and story beats.
Here’s the funny part: players sometimes ignore side content, then wonder why flying won’t work. You can collect many currents while doing the MSQ — that’s efficient. (There are exceptions depending on your playstyle and your server’s traffic.)
📋 A Handy Table: Typical Zone Facts
| Zone | Typical Currents | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coerthas Western Highlands | ~15 | Requires MSQ progression in the area; higher elevations hide currents. |
| Dravanian Forelands | ~15 | Quest currents often tie to Alphinaud-related quests. |
| The Churning Mists | ~15 | Verticality matters — cliffs and spires. |
| The Sea of Clouds | ~15 | Expect floating islands; some currents feel tucked away. |
| Azys Lla | Varies | End-of-expansion area; rules differ slightly. |
🗺️ Tips for Finding Currents
We found a few approaches that work well. Try them, adapt, and don’t stress if one current is unreachable right away.
- Divide the map into sectors and sweep each sector (systematic).
- Check high and low spots — currents like cliffs and ledges.
- Do story quests as you go; many currents come from quests.
- Mark places on the map where you spot but can’t reach a current.
To be fair, this doesn’t always work perfectly — sometimes a current sits behind a later story unlock. That’s fine; move on and return.
“Collect currents while questing. It’s the time-saver most people skip.”
🎯 Side-Quest Currents
Quest-based currents are marked differently in-game (you’ll see a blue marker). These quests usually tell meaningful small stories about the zone. Do them not just for flight but because they reveal context and sometimes give access to new paths. I’ll say something controversial: skipping them to grind overworld currents is lazy and inefficient — but some players love grinding, so hey, to each their own!
Need an example of how to check progress? Open your map/travel interface and look for the aether current tracker. It’ll list collected and remaining currents. If flying won’t activate, open that screen and see what you’re missing. Simple check!
// Quick check
Open Map > Aether Current Tracker > see remaining count
✅ Final Unlock Steps
Once you have the required currents and story progress, flight unlocks automatically. The game sends a message. Summon a flying mount and press jump — you should take off. If not, double-check the aether tracker. Honestly, that system saved me many hours of pointless searching.
After unlocking, do this:
- Summon a flying-capable mount (your black chocobo works fine).
- Test takeoff and directional control.
- Fly to previously unreachable nodes or ledges.
Counterintuitive Insight
Many players think flying makes exploration pointless. Oddly enough, I’ve noticed flight often reveals new secrets: aerial vantage points show hidden entrances and resource clusters you’d never see on foot. So flying can actually deepen exploration, not replace it.
One controversial note: some argue flight breaks encounter design and trivializes content. I get that, but in my experience flight mostly improves quality of life without ruining combat or story pacing — you still need to land for fights and instanced content.
Closing Practicalities
Collecting currents pays off across expansions; the skill carries over later, though each expansion adds its own quirks. Be patient, follow the MSQ up to the area checkpoint, collect currents as you go, and use the map tracker often. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
Want a quick checklist? Here:
- Own Heavensward (June 23, 2015).
- Reach MSQ checkpoints for the zone.
- Gather the shown number of aether currents (check tracker).
- Summon mount and test flight.
Between us, take a moment to enjoy that first lift-off — it still gives me chills. — A seasoned player and guide (she/her). 🌟
