This is correct. It is currently configured for manual launch only. If you find the forwardmost ACB in the launch chain, you can change its activation to be on spawn/build rather than interacted with outside of build mode, and that would sort it for you. Let me know if you've got any questions about that. I've kinda overlooked a lot of the carrier functionality of my airships, mostly since I don't have many permanent planes. Even my most finished planes, the Warhawks I got from Samson, can't fly in the current version.

When I do custom battle, the AI does not launch the airplanes. The just sit on the deck and do nothing.