air traffic

American  

noun

1. aircraft moving in flight or on airport runways.

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air traffic British  

noun

1. the organized movement of aircraft within a given space

2. the passengers, cargo, or mail carried by aircraft

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Etymology

Origin of air traffic

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

User-friendly design can save lives by allowing for legibility and shared understanding, making it safer to run nuclear power plants, air traffic control towers, and robotic surgical systems.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

The pilots “were advised by air traffic control to watch for a military helicopter flying near the airport,” the company said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

US officials on Tuesday played down speculation that distracted air traffic controllers might have contributed to a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Regulators have tried for decades to stamp out hazards leading to close-call incidents at airports—from poor communications to poorly lit airfields to adequate staffing to oversee air traffic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Then there’s the domineering Kennedy Airport air traffic controllers ordering the planes around.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell