overflight

American  

[oh-ver-flahyt] / ˈoʊ vərˌflaɪt /

noun

1. an air flight that passes over a specific area, country, or territory.

   Overflights of foreign aircraft are closely monitored.

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overflight British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌflaɪt /

noun

1. the flight of an aircraft over a specific area or territory

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Etymology

Origin of overflight

1590–1600 as pertaining to the flight of birds; 1955–60 for current sense; over- + flight ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overflight

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Saturday announced his arrival in Eswatini -- Taipei's only diplomatic ally in Africa -- after an earlier trip was cancelled when several countries revoked overflight permits.

From Barron's ● May 2, 2026

Taiwan announced Tuesday that Lai was postponing his trip to Eswatini -- the island's only diplomatic ally in Africa -- after "Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly and without prior notice revoked the charter's overflight permits."

From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026

The U.S. already enjoys access to bases and overflight rights there, while Denmark bears the cost of governance, infrastructure and social services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

Observers add the UAE appears to have lost military overflight permissions over Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026

President Kennedy had approved an overflight of Cuba.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin