Check which KJFK runways are in use using ATIS, ATC and airport charts, with clear advice for offline sims and online flying.
To check which KJFK runways are in use, listen to the airport ATIS, then confirm the assigned arrival or departure runway with ATC. In a flight simulator, use the ATIS and controller for that session; airport charts show the runway layout, but they do not identify the live runway configuration.
This method applies across Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX. The crucial point is that JFK can use several runways simultaneously, so there may not be one single “active runway”.
How to check the active runways at KJFK
- Open the KJFK airport diagram. Use the KJFK runway diagram and approach plates to identify the available runways and locate the published ATIS details. Check the chart date before relying on frequencies or procedures.
- Listen to the complete ATIS broadcast. Note the information letter, observation time, landing runways, departure runways, approaches in use and any reported closures. Our explanation of how to read and use an ATIS broadcast covers the terminology in more detail.
- Confirm the runway with ATC. Your clearance or approach instruction is authoritative for that simulator session. An online controller’s ATIS and instructions take precedence over built-in simulator ATC.
- Check again before departure or descent. JFK’s configuration can change as wind, traffic, visibility or runway availability changes. A different ATIS information letter indicates that a new broadcast has been issued.
If separate arrival and departure ATIS services are available in your simulator or online session, use the broadcast relevant to your operation. A text ATIS issued by an online controller serves the same practical purpose as the radio message.
Which KJFK runways might the ATIS list?
KJFK has four physical runways, represented by these reciprocal designator pairs:
- 04L/22R
- 04R/22L
- 13L/31R
- 13R/31L
Each pair describes opposite directions on the same strip of pavement. For example, 04L and 22R are not separate physical runways. The ATIS may assign one runway to arrivals and another to departures, or list multiple arrival and departure runways during busy operations.
Which source should you trust in a flight simulator?
| Flying situation | Source to follow | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Offline with simulator ATC | Simulator ATIS and ATC assignment | It may not match real JFK because the simulator uses its own weather and airport logic. |
| Online with active controllers | Network ATIS and controller instructions | Ignore conflicting built-in ATC and ensure you copied the latest ATIS. |
| No ATC or ATIS available | Weather, published procedures and observed traffic flow | This gives only a likely runway configuration, not a confirmed one. |
| Real-world operation | Approved aeronautical information, operational ATIS, NOTAMs and ATC | Simulator charts and weather are not operational sources. |
Why can’t you identify the runway from wind alone?
Wind suggests the preferred landing direction, but it does not identify the exact KJFK runway in use. Parallel-runway capacity, traffic flow, approach availability, visibility, noise procedures, maintenance and closures can all affect the configuration.
A mistake we see constantly is selecting the runway most directly aligned with the wind and assuming ATC must use it. Use wind as a reasonableness check, then confirm with ATIS or ATC; our guide to determining the active runway from ATIS, traffic and weather explains that decision process.
Why does the simulator show a different KJFK runway?
A disagreement usually means the simulator, flight plan and online session are using different information. Common causes include mismatched weather sources, an old ATIS message, a runway selected earlier in the FMS, outdated airport data or a closure that the simulator does not model.
- Refresh the weather and listen for a new ATIS information letter.
- Use one ATC system rather than following built-in and online controllers together.
- Verify that the runway exists in the installed KJFK scenery and navigation data.
- Change the FMS arrival and approach after ATC assigns a different runway.
The runway entered in a flight plan or FMS is only the planned runway. It does not prove that KJFK is still using that configuration when you arrive.