airlift

noun

air·​lift ˈer-ˌlift 

: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft often to or from an otherwise inaccessible area

airlift transitive verb

Examples of airlift in a Sentence

an emergency airlift to deliver supplies to the famine victims

Recent Examples on the Web

His concerns before his final race grew during the Friday qualifier, when driver Rubens Barrichello, Senna’s friend and fellow Brazilian, flipped his car and hit a tire barrier, necessitating an airlift to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken nose and bruising. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024

They were recovered from the rocky trail and the high altitude through a helicopter airlift. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024

With check-in complete, Bohemian’s stall is loaded onto an airlift. —Lukas Weese, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024

Russia might also strategically drop paratroopers and airlift troops and armored vehicles well behind the frontline to seize bridges or other infrastructure. —Michael Kofman, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

airlift

noun

air·​lift ˈa(ə)r-ˌlift 

ˈe(ə)r-

: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft to or from an area otherwise impossible to reach

airlift verb