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)

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

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

"Given the uncertainties and severity of the illness,  there is concern about the scale of  transmission in affected communities," the WHO said Friday as it prepared to airlift five tonnes of material including infection prevention gear from Kinshasa.

From Barron's • May 16, 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

Military helicopters have been deployed to airlift stranded residents, and deliver food, though one crashed just north of Colombo on Sunday evening.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

The paramedic then worked with fire personnel on the ground to secure the patient in a rescue basket and airlift him to a local trauma center.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

The United States defied the blockade with a massive airlift of supply planes that flew over Soviet forces and directly into Tempelhof Airport in the Western sector of Berlin.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• airdrop
• fly