airline

American  

[air-lahyn] / ˈɛərˌlaɪn /

noun

airlines plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• airlines
  plural

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

See Examples For:

airline airlines

"But if you've booked everything separately, you'll need to deal with each provider independently. Your airline may refund your flight, but your accommodation provider may not if the property is unaffected."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Duthie says if your airline cancels your flight due to wildfires then "they should offer you the chance to rebook, or provide a full refund".

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

But most U.S. consumer spending goes to services—everything from housing and medical care to entertainment and airline tickets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Technology, chip and airline stocks are leading declines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Mrs. Baxter pointed to a sign over the airline counter.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez

Boeing, by contrast, believes that airlines are looking for an improved narrow-body 737 MAX rather than a new aircraft.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Find insight on European airlines, Indian auto parts makers and more in the latest Market Talks covering the auto and transport sector.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

These vastly outweigh the amount of carbon produced by the airport site, and are accounted for separately by airlines.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The company, based in Dublin, Ireland, and described as the world's leading aviation finance platform, manages a fleet of 1,700 aircraft for more than 170 airlines worldwide.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

In the beginning, it was just Marshall Skadden, Leslie Arps—both of whom had just been turned down for partner at a major Wall Street law firm—and John Slate, who had worked for Pan Am airlines.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell