What are direction signs?
Yellow background, black inscription, and always an arrow — mounted before the intersection, normally on the pilot's left, to say which taxiway comes next.
A direction sign is yellow background, black inscription — and it is the one information sign that always carries an arrow. That arrow is what separates it from the location sign covered in Entry 5: a location sign only confirms where the aircraft already is, while a direction sign tells the pilot which taxiway to take next, and the arrow's angle is drawn to match the physical geometry of that turn — straight, angled left, angled right, or back.
Where more than one taxiway leads off the same intersection, their designations are combined on a single panel, separated by a vertical black divider line, each with its own arrow — rather than mounting a separate sign per taxiway. Placement matters as much as colour: a direction sign is sited before the intersection, normally on the left side of the taxiway in the direction of travel, so the decision is made ahead of the turn rather than at it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is a direction sign?
A yellow-background, black-inscription sign that always carries an arrow, mounted before an intersection on the pilot's left to indicate which taxiway comes next.
Q2How is a direction sign different from a location sign?
The arrow is the difference: a location sign only confirms where the aircraft already is and never carries an arrow, while a direction sign tells the pilot which taxiway to take next, with the arrow's angle matching the actual turn geometry.
Q3What happens when more than one taxiway leads off the same intersection?
Their designations are combined on a single panel, arranged clockwise starting from the pilot's left, each with its own arrow and separated by a vertical black divider line, rather than mounting a separate sign per taxiway.
Q4Where is a direction sign placed?
Before the intersection, normally on the left side of the taxiway in the direction of travel, so the decision is made ahead of the turn rather than at it.
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