Comercial planes don't have brakes like cars or bikes, so they won't just stop in midair. Instead, to slow down, the pilot can put up the flaps, or spoilers, which decrease the lift, so the plane will slowly decend back down to earth.

While a plane cannot "brake" in the sense of stopping its forward motion entirely, it uses speed brakes (also known as spoilers or air brakes) to create drag and slow down during flight. These are metal plates located on the top surface of the wings that can be raised by the pilot. When deployed, they disrupt the smooth airflow over the wing, increasing aerodynamic drag and allowing the plane to descend more steeply without gaining too much speed. Pilots often use these when Air Traffic Control (ATC) asks them to "slow down" or when they are approaching an airport too fast. Another form of "braking" is reducing engine thrust or using flaps, which increase lift and drag to allow for slower flight during landing. However, unlike a car, a plane must always maintain a certain "stall speed" to stay in the air; if it "braked" too hard and lost its airspeed, the wings would stop producing lift and the plane would begin to fall. Therefore, mid-air braking is always a delicate balance of managing energy rather than a sudden stop.