air-traffic control

American  

[air-traf-ik] / ˈɛərˌtræf ɪk /

noun

1. a government service that facilitates the safe and orderly movement of aircraft within and between airports by receiving and processing data from radar and devices that monitor local weather conditions and by maintaining radio contact with pilots.

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air-traffic control British  

noun

1. an organization that determines the altitude, speed, and direction at which planes fly in a given area, giving instructions to pilots by radio

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Other Word Forms

• air-traffic controller
  noun

Etymology

Origin of air-traffic control

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

air-traffic control

When fully rolled out across U.S. airspace, the software is supposed to act as something like the brains of the nation’s air-traffic control system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The drugmaker has targeted air-traffic control fees in a dispute with Poland and Romania.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

A major air-traffic control system issue canceled more than 2,000 flights, many of them to and from giant Heathrow in London.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Rather, their plan is to scale up so-called Operation Carpet, under which drones circulate near Russian airports, forcing air-traffic control to pause takeoffs and landings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

It all requires careful coordination with air-traffic control at Southampton Airport, since its flight path is directly over Samba’s river.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026