noon balloon

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English

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Noun

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noon balloon (plural noon balloons)

  1. (aviation) A period around midday when an airport has a particularly large amount of air traffic.
    Coordinate term: shoulder
    • 1995, Edward C. Welter, GM Means Good Money, page 105:
      We did not have a noon balloon, but when needed I met VIPs at the airport. I chauffeured them between the airport, hotel and the plant.
    • 1999, Journal of Aircraft, volume 36, numbers 4-6, page 788:
      The noon balloon was chosen as the basis for the traffic model because during this arrival rush demand exceeds airport capacity and air traffic managers impose time-based metering restrictions []