airlift

American  

[air-lift] / ˈɛərˌlɪft /

noun

1. a system for transporting persons or cargo by aircraft, especially in an emergency.

2. the persons or cargo so transported.

3. the act or process of transporting such a load.

4. a pump for raising liquids by the pressure of air forced into the pump chamber.

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verb (used with object)

airlifts, present (3rd person singular) airlifted, past participle, past airlifting present participle

1. to transport (persons or cargo) by airlift.

adjective

1. of or relating to an airlift or airlifts.

   to increase the army's airlift capacity.

airlift British  

/ ˈɛəˌlɪft /

noun

1. the transportation by air of passengers, troops, cargo, etc, esp when other routes are blocked

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verb

1. (tr) to transport by an airlift

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• airlifting
  present
• airlifted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• airlift
  simple
• airlifts
  simple
• have airlifted
  perfect
• has airlifted
  perfect
• am airlifting
  progressive
• are airlifting
  progressive
• is airlifting
  progressive
• have been airlifting
  perfect progressive
• has been airlifting
  perfect progressive

Past

• airlifted
  simple
• had airlifted
  perfect
• was airlifting
  progressive
• were airlifting
  progressive
• had been airlifting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will airlift
  simple
• will have airlifted
  perfect
• will be airlifting
  progressive
• will have been airlifting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of airlift

First recorded in 1940–45; air ¹ + lift

Explanation

When a military plane is used to deliver supplies or move people, it's called an airlift. After a major earthquake, airlifts can bring in clean water and food to people in the affected area. Whether they're removing citizens from dangerous situations or providing aid to victims of natural disasters, airlifts are useful in an emergency. Enormous military aircraft can hold a large quantity of supplies and deliver them quickly, even at great distances. As a verb, airlift means "fly to safety," so a government might airlift its embassy workers out of a country where war has suddenly broken out.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

airlift airlifts airlifted airlifting

In Ituri, United Nations peacekeepers, in the country to battle Islamic State and protect civilians, have to airlift supplies and health workers to field hospitals battling the Ebola outbreak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

We were running this airlift, like small propeller planes with eight seats, trying to get more than 100 people back to the mainland before twilight hits because they don’t have lighting on the runway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

The force of the fall and the nature of his injuries prompted first responders to call for a helicopter to airlift the child to an emergency room in nearby Reno.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

He said British Airways is putting on daily flights from Oman, and the government will keep working with partners to "increase the speed and capacity of this airlift".

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

However, now that martial law has been declared and the national guard has been activated, Alyce has been called on to airlift drinking water to evacuation centers.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Trekkers were also pressured into airlifts even for minor illnesses, according to the chargesheet.

From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026

Lindsey Vonn’s devastating leg injury at the Milan-Cortina Games was a reminder of the vital role emergency airlifts play in Olympic skiing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

"There are no aid planes, no humanitarian airlifts, no real international movement and no ground efforts to break the siege."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2025

The base is supplied weekly by the Canadian Air Force, and twice a year with bigger airlifts of fuel and cargo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025

In addition to outright   warfare, the strife has included interdiction of Armenian imports on the   Azerbaijani railroads and expensive airlifts of supplies to beleaguered   Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

From The 1993 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

While he was pulled from the water and airlifted to hospital, Shelina Rahman, 41, and 15-year-old Sameeha, died at the scene.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

An 11-year-old girl was airlifted to a hospital with a broken leg.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Annie was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, where Cai said "every single doctor that was available in the hospital was helping her".

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

He was airlifted to the Cleveland Clinic’s main hospital, where doctors performed an emergency procedure to remove blood clots from his arteries and heart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

“In the helicopter? Right before they airlifted you to Children’s Hospital in Detroit?”

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

By 1950 Operations Ezra and Nehemiah began, airlifting 120,000 Jews—90% of the community—to Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

The government has begun airlifting meat and vegetables from the eastern agricultural heartland of Santa Cruz and central city of Cochabamba to try alleviate the shortages.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

The situation for ordinary Haitians remains precarious and dangerous, while many embassies and consulates are airlifting their citizens out.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2024

Mr. Said called 911 and a state park aircrew responded, airlifting the woman and transporting her to a local hospital.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 28, 2023

The village is home to at least 225 people, and the authorities said they were airlifting excavators to assist rescuers who trekked 1.5 miles from the nearest highway to reach the village.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

Related Words

• airdrop
• fly