Definition
An ATC procedure used to position departing aircraft into the most advantageous order, relative to one another, to minimize delays and maximize departure efficiency. Pilots may be instructed to taxi to a specific spot or hold short of a particular location to achieve the desired sequence.
Plain English
Controllers line aircraft up on the ground in a specific order so departures can flow out smoothly with the least amount of delay.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport surface operations, ground-control instructions, and traffic-flow discussions when departures are being organized before takeoff.
Derivation
From the British 'queue,' meaning a line of people or things waiting their turn. The aviation use is the same idea applied to aircraft on the ground.
Why Pilots Care
Understanding queuing helps pilots anticipate delays and comply with ATC sequencing instructions during high-traffic periods.
Intuition Check
Queuing does not just mean waiting. Here, it means aircraft are being deliberately placed, grouped, or ordered on the ground so departures can be managed.
Example Sentence 1
Ground asked us to taxi to the second staging spot short of runway 27 for queuing behind the departing regional jet.
Example Sentence 2
Due to heavy traffic, queuing for IFR departures caused a 20-minute delay at the airport.