From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishairliftair‧lift /ˈeəˌlɪft $ ˈer-/ noun [countable] PMPGan occasion when people or supplies are taken to a place by plane, especially during a war or dangerous situation —airlift verb [transitive]
Examples from the Corpus
airlift• His first column was a paean to the ingenuity, resolve, and bravery represented by the massive Berlin airlift.• The increase is partly accounted for by the airlift of refugees from Kosovo.• In mid-June 1948 Truman ordered the airlift.• Thanks to the airlifts, the average daily death rate now is 12.• The airlift had now stopped and people were being moved on to Myitkyina, hoping to get a plane there.• The first planes of this airlift arrived in Beletuen on the same day.• The plan seems to be to use airlift escorted by fighter planes. 