Where must aircraft stop on a taxiway?
A holding position is a designated point where aircraft and vehicles hold until the tower clears them on. At a runway it is marked by yellow lines, backed by a red stop bar, yellow guard lights and a red sign; short of it, an intermediate position is marked more simply.
A holding position is a place on the taxiway where traffic must stop and wait until the aerodrome control tower clears it on (in radiotelephony the runway-holding position is the “holding point”). A runway-holding position is always a stop point; an intermediate one is a stop point only when the tower instructs a hold there or its stop bar is lit. For taxiing aircraft Annex 14 defines two kinds. A runway-holding position protects a runway, an obstacle limitation surface or an ILS/MLS critical/sensitive area. An intermediate holding position is used for traffic control, such as at a taxiway intersection short of the runway. The pilot reads it through marking first, then signs and lights.
1Runway-holding position
The marking is yellow and crosses the taxiway: four lines, two solid and two dashed (Pattern A), with the solid lines on the side where the aircraft holds and the dashed lines on the runway side. Where two or three runway-holding positions are provided at a precision approach runway intersection, the one closest to the runway is Pattern A and those farther away are Pattern B. A red mandatory sign with white inscription stands beside the marking, and where installed a red stop bar and yellow runway guard lights reinforce it. Runway guard lights are a pair of yellow lights on each side of the taxiway, flashing alternately at 30–60 flashes a minute. A lit stop bar is never crossed: the tower switches it off, and the centre line lights beyond it come on, to clear the aircraft. The two are interlocked, so those centre line lights stay out for at least 90 m while the bar is lit. How far the position sits from the runway centre line depends on the runway type and code; Annex 14 Chapter 3 sets the distances.
2Intermediate holding position
The marking is a single broken line across the taxiway, placed far enough back from the intersecting taxiway to keep taxiing aircraft clear of each other, and coincident with a stop bar or intermediate holding-position lights where those are provided. Those lights are three fixed yellow unidirectional lights across the centre line, 1.5 m apart and set 0.3 m before the marking on the approach side. Crossing an intermediate holding position needs a clearance only when the tower has instructed the aircraft to hold there.
| Feature | Runway-holding position | Intermediate holding position |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Protect a runway, obstacle limitation surface or ILS/MLS critical/sensitive area | Traffic control, e.g. at a taxiway intersection |
| Marking | Four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed (Pattern A; Pattern B farther out at multiple positions) | Single yellow broken line |
| Lights | Red stop bar; yellow runway guard lights | Three yellow lights across the centre line, or a stop bar |
| Sign | Mandatory sign, white on red | Intermediate holding position sign, where provided |
| Hold on | The solid-line side, until cleared by the tower | The approach side, when the tower instructs a hold or a stop bar is lit |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is a taxiway holding position?
A designated position on a taxiway where aircraft and vehicles must stop and hold until the control tower clears them on (at an intermediate holding position, only when the tower instructs a hold or a stop bar is lit). A runway-holding position protects a runway, an obstacle limitation surface or an ILS/MLS critical/sensitive area; an intermediate holding position is used for traffic control, for example at a taxiway intersection.
Q2How is a runway-holding position marked?
With a yellow marking across the taxiway: four lines, two solid and two dashed (Pattern A). The solid lines are on the side where the aircraft holds and the dashed lines are on the runway side. Where two or three runway-holding positions are provided at a precision approach runway intersection, the one closest to the runway is Pattern A and those farther away are Pattern B.
Q3What lights and signs go with a runway-holding position?
A red stop bar where installed, yellow runway guard lights to warn that a runway is ahead, and a mandatory sign with white inscription on a red background beside the marking. The stop bar and guard lights are covered in their own entries.
Q4How is an intermediate holding position different?
It is marked with a single broken line across the taxiway rather than the four-line runway pattern, and where lights are provided they are three fixed yellow unidirectional lights across the centre line, or a stop bar. It is used for traffic control short of a runway, for example at a taxiway intersection.
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