Definition

Noun: A large commercial airplane designed and used primarily for carrying passengers on scheduled flights between airports.

Usage

An "airliner" refers specifically to a passenger aircraft operated by an airline for commercial travel. It distinguishes these planes from smaller private aircraft, cargo planes, or military aircraft. - The primary function of an airliner is to transport passengers. - The term implies operation as part of a commercial airline fleet.

Examples

• The new airliner can carry over 300 passengers across the Atlantic.
• Safety regulations for a commercial airliner are extremely strict.
• The airport was filled with airliners from various international carriers.

Advanced Usage

• "Wide-body airliner" / "Narrow-body airliner": These are technical classifications based on the aircraft's fuselage diameter and cabin layout.
  • The Boeing 787 is a modern wide-body airliner.
• The term can be used metonymically to refer to the airline industry or commercial passenger aviation as a whole.
  • The development of the jet airliner revolutionized global travel.

Variants and Related Words

• Airline (n): The company that owns and operates airliners.
  • She works for a major international airline.
• Aircraft (n): A more general term for any machine capable of flight, including airliners, helicopters, and gliders.

Synonyms

• Passenger jet
• Commercial aircraft
• Passenger plane

Antonyms / Contrasting Terms

• Cargo plane: An aircraft designed primarily to transport goods.
• Private jet: A smaller aircraft used for non-commercial, private travel.
• Military transport: An aircraft used by armed forces.

Related Phrases / Collocations

• To board an airliner: To get on the passenger aircraft.
  • We will board the airliner in thirty minutes.
• Airliner cabin: The passenger compartment inside the aircraft.
• Airliner fleet: The complete collection of aircraft owned by an airline.

Noun

1. a commercial airplane that carries passengers