Line Up and Wait. When tower wants to keep things moving quickly, you may get a clearance from them to “Line up and Wait”. This is telling you as the pilot, to taxi the aircraft onto the runway. But to then sit there and await further clearance.

Before an aircraft begins to move toward the runway, the communication between the cockpit and Air Traffic Control (ATC) follows a very specific, standardized protocol to ensure safety and clarity. The process typically begins with the pilot contacting "Ground Control" once the pre-flight checklists and engine starts are complete. The pilot will state their aircraft identification (call sign), their current location on the airport grounds (such as a specific gate or ramp), and their request to taxi, often including the current ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) weather code they have received. A common phrase would be: "Hometown Ground, Delta 123 at Gate B12, with Information Romeo, request taxi for departure." The controller then responds with a specific route, which the pilot must read back verbatim to confirm understanding. This read-back is legally required and includes instructions like "Taxi to Runway 27R via Alpha, Bravo, hold short of Runway 22." In addition to ATC communication, pilots also make an internal "Before Taxi" announcement to the cabin crew, often saying something like "Flight attendants, please prepare for departure," or "Cabin crew, please be seated for taxi," which signals that the aircraft is about to begin its movement and the safety of the cabin must be secured.