airlifter

noun

air·​lift·​er ˈer-ˌlif-tər 

plural airlifters

: an aircraft used to transport cargo or passengers to or from an often otherwise inaccessible area

… the antimissile systems now deployed on more than 300 military aircraft, from bombers to helicopters to airlifters …

—Robert Weisman, Boston Globe, 14 June 2005

Word History

Etymology

airlift entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

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