Kicked for flying: allow-flight on modded servers

Kicked for flying on a modded server is almost always a false positive. Here is what allow-flight really controls and when leaving it off is correct.

The short version

Minecraft kicks players for flying when the server's anti-cheat sees vertical movement it cannot account for. On modded servers this is nearly always a false positive from jetpacks, elytra mods or high-speed travel. Set allow-flight=true in server.properties, which permits mod flight rather than disabling protection.

The player sees:

Kicked for flying
Flying is not enabled on this server

They were, from their point of view, using a jetpack exactly as the mod intended.

#What the check does

Vanilla Minecraft has a simple movement check: if a player is airborne and the server cannot account for why, it assumes a hacked client and kicks them.

It knows about creative mode. It knows about elytra. It does not know about jetpacks, mod-added wings, hang gliders, flying mounts, high-speed travel from a mod, or any of the several hundred other ways a modded player leaves the ground.

So it fires. Constantly. On a tech pack with jetpacks, it can make the server unplayable.

#The fix

Set allow-flight=true in server.properties, or from the Settings tab, and restart.

The name is misleading. It does not grant flight; nobody gains an ability from it. It tells the server not to kick players for being airborne without an explanation the vanilla check recognises.

Creative flight, elytra and mod flight all work either way. The setting governs only whether the check fires.

#When to leave it off

Vanilla or lightly plugged survival servers. The check is a genuine, if basic, protection against a common hack, and there is no legitimate flight to break. Leave it off.

Servers running a proper anti-cheat plugin. Most anti-cheat plugins want allow-flight=true so the vanilla check stops interfering, and then do the job properly themselves with an understanding of what mods and plugins are present. Check your plugin's documentation; nearly all of them ask for this.

#When to turn it on

Any modded server with flight-capable mods. Create, Mekanism, Applied Energistics, Immersive Engineering, the whole tech-pack family, plus most magic packs. If your pack has a jetpack, you need this.

Servers with plugins that move players vertically. Launch pads, teleport plugins, vehicle plugins and some minigames all trigger the check.

Servers with elytra and heavy lag. Legitimate elytra flight during a lag spike can look impossible to the server, and firework boosts near chunk borders are a known trigger.

#What it does not protect against

Worth being clear, because allow-flight=false gives an impression of security it does not earn.

It checks one narrow thing: unexplained vertical movement. It does nothing about reach, speed, aim assistance, X-ray, automated mining, or any other client modification. A player with a hacked client is barely inconvenienced by it.

If you actually need protection, that is an anti-cheat plugin's job, and having one is the point at which this setting stops mattering.

#Still being kicked with it on

If players are kicked for flying after setting it to true:

  • Confirm the restart happened. It applies at boot.
  • Check for an anti-cheat plugin with its own flight detection, which is a separate check with a separate config.
  • Look at the kick message. A plugin kick usually differs in wording from the vanilla one, and that difference tells you which system to go and configure.

#Frequently asked questions

What does allow-flight=true actually do?

It stops the server's built-in movement check from kicking players who are airborne without a recognised reason. It does not grant anyone the ability to fly. Creative mode flight, elytra and mod-provided flight all work regardless; the setting only governs whether the check fires.

Is it safe to set allow-flight to true?

On a modded server, yes, and it is usually necessary. The vanilla check does not understand mod flight and produces constant false positives. On a vanilla survival server, leaving it off keeps a basic protection that a plugin-based anti-cheat would otherwise have to replace.

Why do players get kicked for flying with an elytra?

Elytra flight is understood by the check, but lag can make legitimate movement look impossible, and firework boosts near a chunk border are a frequent trigger. If it happens only during lag spikes, the movement is not the problem.

Written and maintained by the Hostd engineering team. Last updated 2026-08-05. Notice a mistake? Tell us.

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