'airfreighter' originates from the combination of 'air' and 'freighter', where 'air' refers to the atmosphere and 'freighter' refers to a vehicle or vessel used for transporting goods.

'freighter' changed from the Old English word 'frēo' meaning 'free' and eventually became the modern English word 'freighter' through Middle English.

Initially, 'freighter' meant 'a vessel for transporting goods', and over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a large aircraft designed for transporting cargo'.