Definition

1. Noun:

   • Transportation by air: The transportation of people or cargo, especially in large quantities, by aircraft, typically when surface routes are unavailable or impractical.

2. Verb:

   • To transport by air: To fly people or goods into or out of an area, especially as an emergency measure or when other transport methods are blocked.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The humanitarian organization coordinated a massive airlift to deliver supplies to the isolated region.
  • During the Berlin Blockade, a sustained airlift kept the city supplied.

• Verb:

  • The military was ordered to airlift the stranded refugees to safety.
  • Food is airlifted into Bosnia to support the relief effort.

Advanced Usage

• "to conduct/mount an airlift": To organize and carry out a large-scale air transport operation.

  • The government decided to mount an emergency airlift following the earthquake.

• "airlift capacity": Refers to the maximum load or number of people that can be transported by air in a given operation.

  • The new transport planes significantly increased the fleet's airlift capacity.

Variants and Related Words

• Airlifter (Noun): An aircraft specifically designed or used for transporting heavy cargo or large numbers of troops.
  • The C-17 Globemaster is a strategic airlifter.

Synonyms

• Noun: Air bridge, aerial supply.
• Verb: Fly in/out, transport by air.

Related Phrases

• "airlift operation": A specific mission or coordinated effort to transport goods or people by air.
  • The successful airlift operation saved thousands of lives.

Noun

1. transportation of people or goods by air (especially when other means of access are unavailable)

Verb

1. fly people or goods to or from places not accessible by other means
   • Food is airlifted into Bosnia