Find runway slope on Jeppesen charts, read UP/DOWN percentages correctly, and know what to check when the airport diagram omits it.
On Jeppesen charts, runway slope is normally shown on the airport chart—usually the 10-9 airport diagram or an associated airport-information page—in the runway data, beside the runway depiction, or in a runway note. It is not the descent angle printed in an instrument approach profile.
For our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, the practical rule is to start with the airport chart rather than the approach plate. Page numbering and data placement vary between chart series, airports and revisions.
Where exactly should I look on a Jeppesen chart?
If Jeppesen publishes the runway gradient, it should appear with the airport’s runway information.
- Open the airport chart. This is commonly numbered 10-9, although an electronic chart list may simply call it AIRPORT.
- Inspect the runway depiction. Look along or beside the runway centreline for a percentage, sometimes accompanied by UP, DOWN or another directional cue.
- Check the runway data blocks. The value may instead appear under runway data, additional runway information or a similarly labelled section.
- Open associated pages. Large airports often have continuation or airport-information pages carrying details that do not fit on the main diagram.
- Read the chart legend. Confirm what the sign, arrow or UP/DOWN notation references before using the value.
Our guide to identifying Jeppesen chart types and data blocks explains how the 10-series airport pages differ from enroute and procedure charts.
How do I read UP, DOWN and the percentage?
Runway slope is the longitudinal vertical change expressed as a percentage of horizontal distance, with its direction referenced to a particular runway end.
| Example notation | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| RWY 09: 0.6% UP | The runway rises by 0.6 units per 100 units travelled from the Runway 09 end towards Runway 27. |
| RWY 27: 0.6% DOWN | The same physical runway falls when used in the reciprocal direction from Runway 27. |
| Several percentages or segments | The runway has changing gradients rather than one uniform slope. |
A 0.6% uphill gradient over 3,000 metres represents an 18-metre rise. Turning around reverses uphill and downhill, so always associate the published value with its runway designator. The operational consequences are covered separately in our explanation of how gradient changes take-off and landing performance.
Is the approach profile angle the runway slope?
No—the approach angle and runway slope describe different lines.
A figure such as 3.00° in the approach profile describes the aircraft’s intended descent path. The runway gradient describes the physical rise or fall of the pavement. A mistake we see constantly is reading the glidepath angle, vertical descent angle or visual slope indicator setting as runway slope.
Airport elevation and touchdown-zone elevation are also not direct substitutes. Airport elevation is a single aerodrome reference value, while threshold or touchdown-zone elevations apply to particular locations. Our explanation of airport elevation versus runway-end elevation covers that distinction.
What if Jeppesen does not show a runway slope?
An omitted gradient does not prove that the runway is perfectly level.
- Check every airport-information page and the notes attached to the runway data.
- Confirm that the chart revision matches the procedure and airport data being used.
- Consult the official aerodrome chart, runway physical-characteristics data or an approved aircraft-performance source.
- Do not infer the slope from the airport elevation and one threshold elevation.
Our guide to obtaining official aerodrome and procedure charts explains where to look when a Jeppesen page does not carry the required runway detail.
In a flight simulator, the charted slope may disagree with the rendered runway because the scenery represents another airport revision or uses flattened terrain. The chart remains the procedural reference, but the simulator’s runway geometry is what the virtual aircraft actually encounters.
Can I calculate runway slope from threshold elevations?
You can calculate an average gradient when you have elevations and the horizontal distance between the same two reference points.
((far-end elevation - near-end elevation) / horizontal distance) × 100
For example, thresholds at 100 feet and 130 feet separated by 6,000 feet produce a 0.5% uphill average from the lower threshold. From the opposite runway end, that becomes 0.5% downhill.
Match the distance to the points whose elevations you are using; displaced thresholds can make the published runway length unsuitable for this calculation. A hand calculation also misses local humps, dips and segmented gradients. It is useful as a simulator-planning cross-check, but real-world performance calculations should use published or operator-approved runway data.