An airlift is a large-scale operation that uses aircraft to transport people or supplies, especially when ground routes are blocked or too dangerous. During an airlift, planes fly back and forth repeatedly, carrying crucial cargo like food, medicine, or military equipment to where it's desperately needed.

The most famous airlift in history happened in 1948, when the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin, cutting off all roads and railways to the city. For nearly a year, American and British planes flew in everything the city needed: food, coal for heating, even candy for children. Planes landed every few minutes around the clock, delivering over two million tons of supplies and proving that an entire city could survive by air alone.

Today, airlifts rescue people from natural disasters, deliver emergency aid after earthquakes or floods, and evacuate citizens from war zones. When hurricanes devastate an island or wildfires cut off a community, helicopters and cargo planes perform airlifts to bring in help and carry people to safety.

As a verb, to airlift means to transport people or supplies by aircraft, especially as part of an emergency or large-scale effort.