airline

American  

[air-lahyn] / ˈɛərˌlaɪn /

noun

1. Aeronautics.

   1. a system furnishing air transport, usually scheduled, between specified points.

   2. the airplanes, airports, etc., of such a system.

   3. Often airlines a company that owns or operates such a system.

2. a direct line; beeline.

3. an airhose used to pipe air to a deep-sea diver, pneumatic drill, etc.

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adjective

1. of or on an airline.

airline British  

/ ˈɛəˌlaɪn /

noun

1. 1. a system or organization that provides scheduled flights for passengers or cargo

   2. ( as modifier )

      an airline pilot

2. a hose or tube carrying air under pressure

3. a beeline

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Etymology

Origin of airline

First recorded in 1910–15; air ¹ + line ¹

Explanation

An airline is a company that owns and operates a fleet of planes. You might pick an airline for your trip to Hawaii based on who sells the least expensive tickets. The airline is the business that maintains airplanes for commercial and business travel. Some people have a strong preference for one airline over another — you may enjoy flying with the airline that provides homemade cookies to its passengers, for example. Baggage handlers, flight attendants, and pilots all work for an airline. The original, 1813 meaning of airline was quite different: "a straight line between two points on the earth's surface."

Example Sentences

When the dust settled, the airline had added more than 28,000 domestic seats, and over 30,000 total when accounting for long-haul international flights.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

It noted that according to its calculations, the average airline ticket price had fallen 26 percent over the past 10 years.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

But the national airline sells the round-trip flight for a flat 90 euros that actually costs the government about 850 euros.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

Shae, who has about 20 credit cards that he uses strategically, has already booked future trips through various airline transfer programs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Meanwhile, my phone is still out of commission, and I take a moment to reconfirm the fact that that means the airline app is useless, too.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith