overflight

American  

[oh-ver-flahyt] / ˈoʊ vərˌflaɪt /

noun

1. an air flight that passes over a specific area, country, or territory.

   Overflights of foreign aircraft are closely monitored.

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overflight British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌflaɪt /

noun

1. the flight of an aircraft over a specific area or territory

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Etymology

Origin of overflight

1590–1600 as pertaining to the flight of birds; 1955–60 for current sense; over- + flight ¹

Example Sentences

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te postponed an official trip to Eswatini -- the island's only diplomatic ally -- last week after "Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly and without prior notice revoked the charter's overflight permits".

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

The U.S. already enjoys access to bases and overflight rights there, while Denmark bears the cost of governance, infrastructure and social services.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

Observers add the UAE appears to have lost military overflight permissions over Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

"There were irregularities concerning the overflight authorisations, which was regrettable, and we apologise for this unfortunate incident," Tuggar said on national TV.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

South Korea’s safety rating was downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration, and Canadian officials informed Korean Air’s management that they were considering revoking the company’s overflight and landing privileges in Canadian airspace.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell