If the aircraft is taxiing perfectly on centerline, what is the minimum taxiway width that could accommodate it?

• A. 15 feet
• B. 20 feet
• C. 30 feet
• D. 10 feet

Answer: (A)

At the heart of this question is how much lateral space the aircraft needs when it stays perfectly on the taxiway centerline. If the airplane is centered, the full width the taxiway must accommodate is effectively split evenly to each side of the centerline. In this idealized scenario, the required distance from the centerline to the edge of the taxiway is the half-width of the aircraft’s lateral footprint. The problem uses that centered, ideal condition and sets the half-width at fifteen feet, so the minimum taxiway width that can accommodate the airplane is fifteen feet. Any narrower, and even with perfect tracking the wings or wingtips would encroach on the edge. In practice, you’d want additional clearance for drift, wind, and pilot corrections, so real taxiway widths would be larger.