Definition
The letter or letter-and-number labels assigned to each taxiway at an airport, shown on airport diagrams and on yellow signs along the taxi route, used by pilots and controllers to specify exactly which taxiway to use when taxiing between the runway and the ramp.
Plain English
The names given to taxiways, like 'Alpha' or 'B2', so a controller can tell you which path to take on the ground and you can find it on your airport diagram.
Context Anchor
Seen on airport sketches and diagrams, taxiway signs, pavement markings, and instructions from ground controllers.
Derivation
In aviation, taxi means moving an aircraft on the ground. Identifier comes from identify, meaning to tell one thing from another. Together, taxiway identifiers are the labels that tell one taxiway from another.
Why Pilots Care
They prevent confusion when following routes across complex airports and reduce the chance of runway incursions.
Analogy
They work like street names on an airport surface map: without the names, the pavement paths can look similar, but with the names, you can follow a specific route.
Intuition Check
Do not assume taxiway identifiers are directions or instructions by themselves. They are labels; the pilot still follows the diagram, signs, and any controller instructions to use them correctly.
Example Sentence 1
Ground control cleared us to taxi via the taxiway identifiers Alpha and Charlie to Runway 18.
Example Sentence 2
The airport diagram clearly labels all taxiway identifiers to help plan a safe route to the terminal.