Land and Hold Short Operations: What Pilots Need to Know

New ALPA Resource Helps Pilots Understand Hold-Short Operations, Available Landing Distance, ATC Readbacks, and When to Decline a Clearance

Most airline pilots have encountered land and hold short operations (LAHSO) clearances routinely and handled them without incident. Designed to enhance efficiency in some of the busiest airport environments in the world, LAHSO operations leave less margin for error than a full-length landing; therefore, there’s even less space for ambiguity.

Recently, ALPA Air Safety Organization (ASO) experts flagged conditions that warrant a closer look at LAHSO operations at a few of the nation’s busiest airports; issued safety operations bulletins for Chicago O’Hare International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, and Harry Reid International Airports; and launched a new online resource (members log in) for pilots highlighting LAHSO guidance and reminders.

"Recent developments at a few airports highlight why it’s important for pilots to remain vigilant and fully understand how LAHSO is implemented at their destination airport in that hold short lines may not comport with ATC hold short clearance phraseology, placing pilots at risk of passing the hold short line. When questions arise, ALPA works to ensure those issues are addressed and that pilots are fully supported in exercising their professional judgment when not accepting hold short clearances."

Capt. Wendy Morse

First Vice President and National Safety Coordinator

Factors to Weigh Before Accepting a LAHSO

Understanding the airport layout, the available landing distance, and the location of the hold-short pavement markings ensures that there are no surprises during the approach and that everyone is on the same page. Before accepting a LAHSO clearance, airline pilots should ensure that they’re always referencing current and official data and must consider various factors, such as:

Can you ensure that the aircraft can safely stop within the available landing distance, the distance from the landing threshold to the LAHSO hold-short pavement markings?
Do you know the exact location of the LAHSO hold-short pavement markings? Crews should always confirm via the airport’s Automatic Terminal Information Service whether LAHSO is in use, review the airport diagram in advance, and incorporate that information into their arrival briefing.
Did you calculate your aircraft’s landing weight and configuration to confirm that LAHSO is safely achievable?
Did you consider wind and gust conditions, runway slope and elevation, temperature and density altitude, runway surface condition, and status of deceleration systems?

Maintaining vigilance on the frequency during final approach is also essential. LAHSO often occurs in high-traffic-volume environments, and situational awareness must extend beyond the flightpath to include other runway and taxiway activity. And, of course, accepting a LAHSO clearance doesn’t eliminate the possibility of a rejected landing or go-around. If a go-around becomes necessary, pilots must promptly notify air traffic control (ATC) and maintain vigilance for aircraft or vehicles crossing the active runway beyond the LAHSO hold-short markings and for aircraft that may be arriving or departing on an intersecting or converging runway.

Pilots also need to be aware that there have been instances in which new LAHSO procedures have been implemented via notices to airmen prior to being reflected in published charts. Because electronic charts and airport moving maps may not immediately depict these changes, pilots should fully understand the exact location of the LAHSO hold-short point or reject the LAHSO clearance.

A New LAHSO Resource for ALPA Members

To keep members informed, ALPA published a LAHSO resources page that provides important information about pilot responsibilities during these operations. The union’s guidance encourages pilots to develop an understanding of their destination airport’s operations and environment during preflight planning.

ALPA's LAHSO Resources

“From an air traffic controller’s perspective, the readback of a LAHSO clearance is a commitment,” says Capt. Craig Boxrucker (Alaska), ASO Air Traffic Services Group chair. “Once the clearance is accepted, controllers may move other traffic beyond that hold-short point. Pilots need to be absolutely certain they understand where that stopping point is before accepting the clearance.”

Important points for airline pilots to remember:

Pilot participation in LAHSO operations is voluntary. You may exercise pilot-in-command authority and decline a LAHSO clearance for any reason (e.g., you’re unsure of the clearance or you determine the LAHSO operation is unsafe).
Once you accept a LAHSO clearance, you must stop the aircraft at the hold-short point or exit the runway prior to the hold-short line, unless the landing is rejected and a go-around is necessary.
A pilot’s readback of the LAHSO clearance to air traffic controllers is a confirmation of compliance. Once that confirmation is received, ATC can taxi aircraft and vehicles across the active runway beyond the designated hold-short point or issue landing and departure clearances to aircraft on intersecting or converging runways.

ALPA’s Recommendations for ORD, MSP, and LAS

Due to safety risks, ALPA recommends that pilots reject LAHSO clearances until the safety risks have been mitigated at the following airports.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

In February, the Association issued a bulletin recommending that ALPA members reject LAHSO clearances at Chicago O’Hare International Airport due to safety concerns created by the hold-short marking locations and potentially confusing air traffic control (ATC) phraseology. The safety concern is created when ATC issues a LAHSO hold-short instruction to a taxiway rather than the actual hold-short point.

Sometimes the distance between that hold-short point and the taxiway referenced in the ATC clearance exceeds 1,000 feet. Nationally, the average distance between the hold-short marking and the referenced intersection is approximately 300 feet. While controllers clear pilots to “land and hold short of” a specific runway or taxiway, the aircraft must stop at the painted LAHSO hold-short line. A mismatch between phraseology and pavement markings has the potential to create confusion or mishap if crews aren’t fully aware of the exact location of the stopping point.

Boxrucker and other ALPA experts have engaged the airport, local ATC management, and the FAA to resolve the issues at the airport as well as changes to national guidance on LAHSO to ensure that the current issues at ORD don’t expand to other airports.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

Similar to ORD, the Association recommends that pilots decline LAHSO clearances at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for the same reason—the significant mismatch between ATC clearance and where pilots are required to stop. Much of the confusion is created when ATC issues the hold-short instruction to the referenced taxiway that’s a considerable distance away from the actual hold-short point.

When ATC issues a hold-short clearance referencing an MSP taxiway intersection, the actual painted hold-short line can be nearly 1,300 feet before that taxiway. If you’ve stopped at the named intersection, you’ve already gone too far.

Additionally, airport moving maps frequently don’t render hold-short lines at all levels of “zoom,” so pilots can’t always rely on electronic flight bags to depict the hold-short lines in every airport moving-map view.

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)

In August 2025, the FAA implemented LAHSO for aircraft arriving on Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) Runway 19R. Under this procedure, arriving aircraft on 19R would be required to stop before crossing the intersecting Runway 26R, allowing simultaneous departures on 26R.

ALPA spent two years working with the FAA to resolve identified safety concerns, but the agency decided to fast-track the procedure without addressing them to the union’s satisfaction. Therefore, the Association recommends that pilots reject LAHSO until further notice at LAS for the following reasons:

The already documented high rate of aborted takeoff clearances on 26R during intersecting runway operations,
The documented high rate of go-arounds due to unstable approaches on 19R, and
A lack of suitable wind sensors at the approach end of 19R, where tailwind conditions are common and can significantly increase landing distance.

Prioritizing Safety as Demand Increases

As demand for air transportation continues to rise, there’s more pressure to increase capacity. When properly planned and executed, LAHSO can be conducted safely, but it requires preparation, discipline, and clear understanding of exactly where the aircraft must stop. There’s little room for ambiguity in a LAHSO operation. Before accepting the LAHSO clearance, remember you’re the pilot-in-command and that safety is the priority.

“The decision to accept or reject a LAHSO clearance always rests with the pilot-in-command,” says Capt. Steve Jangelis (Delta), ALPA’s ASO Aviation Safety Group chair. “Pilots should feel confident exercising that authority and reject a LAHSO clearance if conditions aren’t right. If there’s uncertainty about aircraft performance, wind conditions, runway state, or the location of the hold-short point, declining the clearance is appropriate. Safety must always take priority over operational efficiency.”