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Glite Dictionary
air lane

air lane

1 4.3
A route that airplanes follow between airports
  • noun
  • /ɛr leɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ruta aérea
  • Pilots must adhere to specific rules when navigating through an international air lane.
  • air lanes of the world

Examples

  • It is essential that key sea and air lanes are not contingent upon approval from nations along these routes.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The airplane flew smoothly down the designated air lane to reach its destination.

  • Several flights were delayed due to congestion in the busy air lane over the city.

Synonyms

flight path
vsair lane
  • Specialized
19 3.9

The route a plane or rocket follows through the sky

is narrower, meaning only officially designated routes between airports
airway
vsair lane
  • Specialized
2 3.8

A route in the sky that planes follow between airports

is the same concept but labelled with a different common term
skyway
vsair lane
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A route in the sky that airplanes use between airports

is the same idea but expressed with an alternative everyday word

How Official

airway
  • Specialized
2 3.8
air lane
  • Specialized
1 4.3
flight path
  • Specialized
19 3.9

Surface Forms

air lane singular
air lanes plural

Morphology

air + lane

The compound 'air lane' is directly compositional: 'air' (aviation/airspace) + 'lane' (a designated route) yields a route in the air, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a route for aircraft. This pattern is productive in English (like 'road lane') and has clear parallels in other languages, making the meaning immediately transparent.

Etymology

The noun air lane comes from the idea of a road in the sky. Imagine a simple lane on the ground but in the air, a clear path that planes follow. That's why air lane means a 'route' planes must use between airports to keep flights safe.