Airport surface
Taxiway Closure Markers
A taxiway closure marker shows that a taxiway is closed to aircraft. The standard painted marker is a yellow X, but in practice closed taxiways are marked far more often by barricades, by lighting that has been switched off or covered — or by nothing visible at all, with the closure existing only in the NOTAM package. This page covers each marker, how a closure reads as a NOTAM, and why the marker alone is not enough.
Awareness and training aid only. Always verify with official NOTAM briefings, current charts, approved EFBs, ATC, dispatch, and company procedures before any real operation.
What is a taxiway closure marker?
A taxiway closure marker is the physical marking placed on a taxiway to show that it is closed to aircraft. The standard painted marker is a yellow X — the same marking used for a closed runway, since FAA closure Xs are yellow on both runways and taxiways.
In practice a closed taxiway is rarely marked by paint alone. Because a taxiway closure is usually short-lived and tied to works in progress, it is far more often signalled by barricades across the entrance, by lighting changes, or simply by a NOTAM with nothing visible on the ground at all. That last case is the one that catches people out.
FAA guidance says the same. AIM paragraph 2-3-6 e.3 states that temporarily closed taxiways "are usually treated as hazardous areas, in which no part of an aircraft may enter, and are blocked with barricades. However, as an alternative, a yellow cross may be installed at each entrance to the taxiway." AC 150/5340-1M sets out the same pair as two options for the airport operator: paragraph 5.7.2.1 treats the closure as a hazardous area, and paragraph 5.7.2.2 lets the operator install instead the yellow X of Figure A-27 "for those entrances leading into the temporarily closed taxiway". Both options are conditional. Paragraph 5.7.2 applies "when it is necessary to provide a visual indication that a taxiway is temporarily closed", and the note that follows makes the airport operator "responsible for determining (1) the need for a visual indication" in the first place.
The construction guidance is more specific, and it uses the phrase itself. AC 150/5370-2G paragraph 2.18.2.1.4 tells the airport operator, for a temporarily closed taxiway, to place barricades outside the safety area of intersecting taxiways and, at a runway/taxiway intersection, to "place an X at the entrance to the closed taxiway from the runway". Its Figure 2-4, Temporary Taxiway Closure, labels that X the taxiway closure marker; the barricades in the same figure are labelled low profile barricades with flashers.
Permanent closures are the mandatory case. AC 150/5340-1M paragraph 5.6.4 places a yellow X marking at each entrance of a permanently closed taxiway, and under paragraph 5.6.1 the lighting circuits are disconnected.
There may also be nothing to see, and the guidance anticipates it. AIM 2-3-6 e.2 states that "a visual indication may not be present depending on the reason for the closure, duration of the closure, airfield configuration, and the existence and the hours of operation of an airport traffic control tower", and tells pilots to check NOTAMs and the Automated Terminal Information System (ATIS) for local runway and taxiway closure information.
What does a yellow X on a taxiway mean?
A yellow X on a taxiway means the taxiway is closed to aircraft.
- Colour. Yellow. AIM 2-3-6 e.3 calls the marking a yellow cross, and AC 150/5340-1M paragraphs 5.6.4 and 5.7.2.2 specify a yellow X.
- Placement. Where the marking is used, at each entrance to the closed taxiway (AIM 2-3-6 e.3; AC 150/5340-1M 5.6.4 and 5.7.2.2).
- What it means. A temporarily closed taxiway is usually treated as a hazardous area, "in which no part of an aircraft may enter" (AIM 2-3-6 e.3).
- It is not the usual marker. Barricades are. The yellow cross is the alternative the guidance offers, and AIM 2-3-6 e.2 says a visual indication may not be present at all, so the NOTAM package and the ATIS remain the sources that always exist.
A taxiway closure marker is not a taxiway ending marker
Two airfield objects have similar names and different meanings.
- Taxiway closure marker. A yellow cross on the pavement at the entrance to a closed taxiway. It means the taxiway is closed to aircraft. AC 150/5370-2G Figure 2-4 labels this X the taxiway closure marker, and AIM 2-3-6 e.3 with AC 150/5340-1M paragraphs 5.6.4 and 5.7.2.2 set out when it is used.
- Taxiway ending marker. A sign rather than a marking: the Type L-858C, described in AC 150/5345-44L paragraph 1.2.1 as "yellow 45-degree diagonal stripes on a black background". AC 150/5340-18H paragraph 1.9 says the sign "indicates that a taxiway does not continue beyond an intersection" and is "a frangible retroreflective barrier installed on the far side of an intersection if the normal visual cues, such as marking and lighting, are inadequate", installed "at taxiway T-intersections where there is an elevated risk for a taxiway excursion". Nothing in either advisory circular gives it a closure meaning.
One is painted flat on the pavement where a taxiway begins; the other stands upright across the far side of an intersection where a taxiway ends. Only the first says the taxiway is closed.
Types of taxiway closure marker
What you actually see at the entrance to a closed taxiway depends on how long the closure will last and what is happening on the pavement.
| Marker | Appearance | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| Painted yellow X | A yellow X painted on the taxiway surface | Permanent closures, where AC 150/5340-1M paragraph 5.6.4 places one at each entrance, and temporary closures where the operator chooses the marking over barricades (paragraph 5.7.2.2) |
| Barricades | Low, brightly coloured barricades — often orange and white, frequently with flags or flashing lights — placed across the taxiway entrance | The usual marker for a temporary closure. AIM 2-3-6 e.3 says such taxiways are blocked with barricades; AC 150/5370-2G paragraph 2.20.2.4 describes highly reflective collapsible barricades marked with diagonal, alternating orange and white stripes, which may be supplemented with orange and white flags |
| Lighting removed or covered | Centreline and edge lighting switched off, covered or removed on the closed section | Night operations. AC 150/5370-2G paragraph 2.18.3.4 says to deactivate the taxiway lighting circuits where possible and otherwise to cover the fixture to prevent light leakage |
| Raised markers or cones | Temporary raised units placed along or across the pavement | Short closures and partial-width restrictions. AC 150/5370-2G paragraph 2.20.2.4 lists orange traffic cones alongside barricades and signs |
| Nothing visible | No marking at all — the closure exists only in the NOTAM package | Very short closures, and closures that begin while you are already airborne. AIM 2-3-6 e.2 states that a visual indication may not be present |
The lighted X used on runways is a runway device: AC 150/5340-1M gives it as the preferred way of showing that a runway is temporarily closed, and places it on each runway end. The same AC gives two options for a temporarily closed taxiway, neither of them lighted: treat the closure as a hazardous area, which in practice means barricades, or place the same yellow X at each entrance to the closed section. For the runway side of this, including the painted X at each end and the lighted X, see closed runway markings.
How a closed taxiway appears in the NOTAM package
Before any of the above is visible from the cockpit, the closure exists as a line of text. A taxiway closure at Minneapolis–St Paul (KMSP):
!MSP 08/207 MSP TWY P BTN TWY A AND TWY B CLSD WIP 2608260600-2608301800
Reading it in order:
!MSP— the accountable location.TWY P BTN TWY A AND TWY B— the subject and, critically, its extent. Taxiway P is not closed end to end; only the section between A and B is. Partial closures are the norm, and the extent is the part most often skimmed.CLSD— closed.WIP— works in progress. Expect equipment, people and barricades rather than paint.2608260600-2608301800— the window in year-month-day-hour-minute UTC.
This is a NOTAM (D) — the airport and facility category that carries surface closures. The shorthand is listed in full on our NOTAM abbreviations page.
Taxiway closure markers vs runway closure markers
The two are related but not interchangeable, and the differences matter when you are reading a chart or a question.
| Taxiway closure | Runway closure | |
|---|---|---|
| Painted X | Yellow X at the entrance to the closed section | Yellow X at each end, visible on approach from either direction; a permanently closed runway also carries one every 1,000 feet (AC 150/5340-1M paragraph 5.6.2) |
| Lighted X (L-893) | Not one of the FAA options for a closed taxiway | The preferred indication for a temporary closure, placed on each runway end: a portable flashing X, visible at night and in poor visibility |
| Barricades | Very common, usually the primary marker | Used on the taxiways leading to the closed runway; never on the runway side of a runway hold line |
| Lighting | Centreline and edge lighting off or covered | Runway edge, threshold and approach lighting off |
| Notice type | NOTAM (D) | NOTAM (D) |
Why the marker alone is not enough
A marker tells you about the pavement you are looking at. The NOTAM package tells you about the pavement you are about to be cleared onto — including the section beyond the turn, at night, in low visibility, or on a field you have never taxied before.
Three practical points:
- Extent is the trap. "TWY P closed between A and B" is not "TWY P closed". Read to the end of the line.
- Timing is the second trap. A closure that begins during your turnaround will not be marked when you land and will be marked when you taxi out.
- An unmarked closure is still a closure. Short-notice closures frequently have nothing on the ground, which AIM 2-3-6 e.2 anticipates: a visual indication may not be present, and pilots are told to check NOTAMs and the ATIS. If you see nothing but the package says closed, the package governs — and if a clearance conflicts with what you have read, query it.
This is the specific gap TaxiwayClosed AI is built for: it reads the whole package and marks each closed taxiway and runway with a cross on the airport diagram, so the closures are a picture before they are a reading exercise. It is an awareness aid, not a briefing — see data sources and limitations.
Frequently asked questions about taxiway closure markers
What is a taxiway closure marker?
A taxiway closure marker is the physical marking that shows a taxiway is closed to aircraft. The standard painted marker is a yellow X, though barricades, removed or covered lighting and temporary raised markers are used more often in practice.
What colour is a taxiway closure X?
Yellow. FAA closure Xs are yellow on both taxiways and runways, so a closed taxiway carries a yellow X at the entrance to the closed section, just as a closed runway carries one at each end.
What marks a closed taxiway on the ground?
Most often with barricades. AIM 2-3-6 e.3 says a temporarily closed taxiway is usually treated as a hazardous area and blocked with barricades, and that a yellow cross may be installed at each entrance as an alternative. A permanently closed taxiway carries a yellow X at each entrance (AC 150/5340-1M paragraph 5.6.4). Some closures carry no marking at all and exist only in the NOTAM package.
Is a lighted X used on taxiways?
No. The lighted X is a portable illuminated unit used to mark a temporarily closed runway, and it is placed on each runway end. Taxiway closures are normally marked with barricades, lighting changes or a painted yellow X at each entrance to the closed section.
How do I know a taxiway is closed if there is no marker?
From the NOTAM package. Short-notice closures often have nothing visible on the ground, and the closure exists only as a NOTAM (D). If the package says closed and you see no marking, the package governs — query any clearance that conflicts with it.
Which type of NOTAM reports a closed taxiway?
A NOTAM (D). Surface closures are physical conditions at the airport, which is the category the D series reports.
What does WIP mean in a taxiway closure NOTAM?
WIP stands for works in progress. It indicates construction activity on the closed section, so expect equipment, personnel and barricades rather than painted markings.
Always verify with official sources
TaxiwayClosed AI is an awareness and training aid — it is not an official briefing and is never a substitute for one. Before any real flight, pull the current package from official sources such as FAA NOTAM Search, review the procedures in the FAA JO 7930.2 NOTAM order and in SKYbrary, use your approved EFB briefing, and confirm anything unclear with ATC, dispatch, or your CFI.
How this page is written and reviewed
Last reviewed . Written and maintained by the ETWINTECH LTD team that builds TaxiwayClosed AI. Definitions and procedures on this page are checked against FAA publications and SKYbrary; where they differ from anything here, the official source governs. ETWINTECH LTD is not an aviation authority and this page is not official guidance — see our data sources and limitations and safety advice. Spotted an error? Email contact@etwintech.com.
See every closed taxiway on the diagram
Download TaxiwayClosed AI, load a real NOTAM package, and let the AI pull out every closed taxiway and runway and mark each one with a cross on the airport map — including the ones with nothing painted on the ground.
Awareness and training aid only. Always verify with official NOTAM briefings, current charts, approved EFBs, ATC, dispatch, and company procedures before any real operation.