Meaning & use
airline
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Meanings
nouncountable
A company that carries passengers or goods by aircraft on regular routes, selling tickets or freight space.
Grammar: Countable: an airline, two airlines; fly with an airline.
Patterns
- fly with an airline
- an airline between places
The airline has added three new flights to Tokyo this winter.
I always book with the same airline because of its good service.
Several airlines were forced to cancel flights during the storm.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A regular air route, or the business of running such routes, especially in the older phrase air line.
Grammar: Older and less common; today an airline mostly means the company.
Patterns
- airline industry
- airline business
He worked in the airline business for over thirty years.
The airline industry has changed greatly since the 1970s.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to an airline or its operations, used before another noun.
Grammar: Used before a noun: airline pilot, airline ticket.
Patterns
- airline ticket
- airline staff
The airline pilot greeted passengers as they boarded.
Airline tickets were cheaper in the spring.
She works as airline staff at the gate.
Word forms
| plural | airlines |
|---|
Common combinations
- budget airline
- The budget airline charges extra for luggage.
- national airline
- The national airline serves more than 40 countries.
- book with an airline
- We booked with an airline known for punctuality.
- airline ticket
- She bought an airline ticket to Lisbon.
- airline pilot
- His dream was to become an airline pilot.
- airline industry
- The airline industry grew rapidly after deregulation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- carrier
- Carrier is a trade word for any company that transports passengers or freight, while airline specifically means air transport.
- air carrier
- Air carrier is more formal and common in regulations, whereas airline is the everyday word.
- flag carrier
- A flag carrier is a country's main national airline, so it is narrower than airline.
- aviation company
- Aviation company is broader and could include aircraft makers, whereas airline means the passenger or cargo operator.
Word family
Commonly confused: airline or airliner? airline or airway?
airline vs airliner
An airliner is a large aircraft, while an airline is the company that operates flights.
airline vs airway
An airway is a flight route or a passage in the body for breathing, not a company.
Practice
Which sentence uses airline to mean a company?
Choose one answer.
Airline here is a company that carries passengers and bags. The aircraft in the third sentence would be an airliner, not an airline.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “airline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.