airline

American  

[air-lahyn] / ˈɛərˌlaɪn /

noun

1. Aeronautics.

   1. a system furnishing air transport, usually scheduled, between specified points.

   2. the airplanes, airports, etc., of such a system.

   3. Often airlines a company that owns or operates such a system.

2. a direct line; beeline.

3. an airhose used to pipe air to a deep-sea diver, pneumatic drill, etc.

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adjective

1. of or on an airline.

airline British  

/ ˈɛəˌlaɪn /

noun

1. 1. a system or organization that provides scheduled flights for passengers or cargo

   2. ( as modifier )

      an airline pilot

2. a hose or tube carrying air under pressure

3. a beeline

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Etymology

Origin of airline

First recorded in 1910–15; air ¹ + line ¹

Explanation

An airline is a company that owns and operates a fleet of planes. You might pick an airline for your trip to Hawaii based on who sells the least expensive tickets. The airline is the business that maintains airplanes for commercial and business travel. Some people have a strong preference for one airline over another — you may enjoy flying with the airline that provides homemade cookies to its passengers, for example. Baggage handlers, flight attendants, and pilots all work for an airline. The original, 1813 meaning of airline was quite different: "a straight line between two points on the earth's surface."

Example Sentences

United, Delta and other airline stocks were flying early Wednesday as the sector finally put the Iran war in its wake.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

See more: Starlink signs a new airline customer as it races to be the top in-flight internet provider.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

The airline faulted its heavy reliance on CrowdStrike, while the tech companies pointed to Delta’s own technology and decisions in the outage’s immediate aftermath.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

British conductor Daniel Harding, who combines classical music with being a part-time commercial airline pilot, has landed the top job with one of the leading orchestras in the US.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Assef was the son of one of my father’s friends, Mahmood, an airline pilot.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini