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air traffic

American  

noun

  1. aircraft moving in flight or on airport runways.


air traffic British  

noun

  1. the organized movement of aircraft within a given space

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of air traffic

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The FAA works closely with launchers to carve out airspace for launches, keeping commercial air traffic out of areas where rockets are ascending.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

The air traffic controller said in its statement, originally written in Spanish: "Our full support goes out to the crews and passengers who are increasingly having to endure these situations."

From BBC Jul. 22, 2026

"Delta 1076... use caution, there are multiple homes near the approach end shooting off fireworks," an air traffic control officer said.

From BBC Jul. 5, 2026

U.S. personnel are helping to manage air traffic, unloading the planes, and moving aid to other destinations.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

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

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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