Aviation explained
What does “line up and wait” mean?
By the AvTags team · Updated
In short
- “Line up and wait” is an air traffic control instruction to taxi onto the runway, line up on the centreline and stop there.
- It is not a take-off clearance. The pilot waits on the runway until the controller says “cleared for take-off”.
- It is the international (ICAO) phrase. The US used “position and hold” until 30 September 2010, when it switched to “line up and wait”.
- It differs from “hold short” or “holding point”, which mean stop before the runway, not on it.
What “line up and wait” means
When an aircraft is ready to depart, it waits at a runway holding point beside the runway. A controller who wants it on the runway, but cannot clear it to take off yet, says something like:
“AvTags 23, line up and wait runway 23R.”
The pilot reads the instruction back, crosses the holding point, turns onto the runway and stops on the centreline with the brakes set. Then they wait. Only when the controller says “cleared for take-off” does the aircraft go.
Controllers use it to keep departures flowing. Lining an aircraft up while the one ahead is still taking off, or while waiting for spacing behind a departure, saves valuable seconds on busy runways like those at Manchester and Heathrow.
MAN Airport Runway
Ships in 1–2 days
Line up and wait vs hold short
The two instructions put the aircraft in different places, which is why mixing them up is dangerous.
- Hold short / hold at the holding point: stop on the taxiway before the runway, behind the red holding point sign and yellow lines. The aircraft stays off the runway.
- Line up and wait: cross the holding point and stop on the runway itself, ready to go.
- Cleared for take-off: the only words that allow the aircraft to start its take-off roll.
In the UK, controllers say “hold at A1” or “hold short of runway 27”; in the US the standard is “hold short of runway 27”. Our guide to runway holding point signs explains the red signs and yellow lines that mark where to stop.
Line up and wait vs position and hold
They mean the same thing. US controllers used to say “taxi into position and hold”. Differences in wording between countries were linked to runway incursions, and the US National Transportation Safety Board recommended adopting the international phrase. The FAA switched to “line up and wait” on 30 September 2010, so the same words are now used at almost every airport in the world.
What does “line up and wait behind” mean?
This is a conditional clearance. The controller lets the aircraft line up only after something else has happened, usually after a landing aircraft has passed:
“AvTags 23, behind the landing A320 on short final, line up and wait runway 27, behind.”
The condition comes first and is repeated at the end so it cannot be missed. The pilot must read back the condition, spot the right aircraft, and only line up once it has gone past. Lining up early would put them in front of a landing aircraft.
Why the exact words matter
An aircraft waiting on a runway sits in the path of anything landing on it, so runway instructions are some of the most carefully worded in aviation. Pilots must read them back in full, and many airports use red stop bars across the holding point that only switch off when an aircraft is cleared onto the runway.
Accidents show why. In 1991 at Los Angeles, a landing USAir 737 struck a SkyWest commuter aircraft that had been told to taxi into position and hold on the same runway. In January 2024 at Tokyo Haneda, a Japan Coast Guard aircraft that had been told to taxi to a holding point entered the runway instead and was hit by a landing Japan Airlines A350. Both led to changes in how runways are protected.
This guide is a general explanation for aviation fans, not training material. Pilots should follow the phraseology and procedures published for their country, such as the CAA’s CAP 413 in the UK.
Questions, answered
What does line up and wait mean?
It means taxi onto the runway, line up on the centreline and stop. It is not permission to take off; the pilot waits for “cleared for take-off”.
Can you take off after line up and wait?
No. Line up and wait only allows the aircraft onto the runway. It must not start its take-off roll until the controller says “cleared for take-off”.
Is line up and wait the same as position and hold?
Yes. “Position and hold” was the US phrase until 30 September 2010, when the FAA adopted the international phrase “line up and wait”.
What is the difference between line up and wait and hold short?
Hold short means stop before the runway, at the holding point. Line up and wait means enter the runway and stop on it, ready to take off.
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