Definition
A long, angled taxiway designed to allow a landing aircraft to turn off the runway at higher than normal taxi speeds, reducing the time the runway is occupied. Also called a high speed exit or long radius taxiway.
Plain English
A taxiway that meets the runway at a shallow angle so an aircraft that has just landed can exit the runway quickly without having to slow down to a near stop first.
Context Anchor
You will encounter this term in airport surface operations, landing rollout planning, airport diagrams, and air traffic control instructions after landing.
Derivation
“Taxiway” comes from “taxi,” meaning an aircraft moving on the ground under its own power. “High speed” here means faster than normal taxi speed during runway exit, not fast movement around the airport surface.
Why Pilots Care
Shortens runway occupancy time after landing, which lowers the chance of runway incursions and helps keep traffic moving at busy airports.
Analogy
Like a curved highway off-ramp that lets you leave the main road without having to brake hard right away.
Intuition Check
“High speed” does not mean pilots should taxi fast on any taxiway. Here it means a specific runway exit designed for a landing aircraft to turn off smoothly while still moving faster than normal taxi speed.
Example Sentence 1
Tower instructed the Cessna to exit at the high speed taxiway on the right if able, to make room for an arriving jet.
Example Sentence 2
The airport added high speed taxiways at each end of the main runway to reduce delays during peak traffic.