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Aviation glossary

Taxiway

Also: taxi route, rapid exit taxiway

Airports

Paved route linking the runways with the apron and other parts of an airport, along which aircraft move on the ground under their own power.

What it is

Taxiways are identified by letters, sometimes combined with numbers (A, B, A1, A2), and are marked with a yellow centreline, blue edge lights and, at many airports, green centreline lights. Before entering a runway there is a holding point marked with transverse lines, which an aircraft must not cross without clearance from air traffic control.

A well-designed taxiway network is crucial to an airport's capacity. Rapid exit taxiways, which leave the runway at a shallow angle, allow aircraft to vacate it at higher speed after landing and free it sooner for the next arrival. At large airports pilots follow complex taxi routes with the help of detailed charts and instructions from the ground controller.

Related terms

TaxiingMovement of an aircraft on the ground under its own power between the apron and the runway, along taxiways and following instructions from ground control. RunwayRectangular surface at an aerodrome prepared for aircraft to take off and land, identified by its magnetic orientation. ApronArea of an airport where aircraft park to board and disembark passengers, load cargo, refuel and receive line maintenance. Control towerAir traffic control unit based at an airport that clears take-offs, landings and ground movements and handles traffic in the immediate vicinity. Runway incursionIncorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft.
Whole glossary

Cite

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Taxiway. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway

MLA

“Taxiway.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Taxiway.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Taxiway. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_taxiway,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Taxiway}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/taxiway |title=Taxiway |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

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