Definition
An instruction from air traffic control directing a pilot to stop the aircraft before crossing a specified point — typically a runway, taxiway, or marked holding position — and to remain there until further clearance is received.
Plain English
Stop before the line and wait. Do not cross until the controller tells you it is okay to go.
Context Anchor
You will hear or read this in taxi instructions, especially near runway entrances and runway hotspot areas.
Derivation
‘Hold’ here means ‘stop and stay’ — the same sense as in ‘hold your position.’ ‘Short’ means stop before reaching the named point, not at or beyond it. Together: stop before the line, not on it.
Why Pilots Care
Prevents runway incursions and mid-air or ground collisions with other aircraft or vehicles.
Grounding Statement
Picture taxiing toward a runway: hold short tells you exactly where the airplane must stop before crossing into that runway area.
Intuition Check
Do not read hold short as “pause briefly and then continue.” In airport movement, it means stop before the named point and stay there until you receive permission to move on.
Example Sentence 1
Cessna 123, taxi to runway 27 via Alpha, hold short of runway 32.
Example Sentence 2
The crew held short of the ILS critical area as directed during low-visibility operations.