Crossword Genius

English staff in a foreign capital's airfield (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

aerodrome

'airfield' is the definition.
(aerodrome is a kind of airfield)

'english staff in a foreign capital's' is the wordplay.
'english' becomes 'e' (abbreviation).
'staff' becomes 'rod' (both can mean a stick or cane).
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'foreign capital' becomes 'Rome' (capital of Italy).
'e'+'rod'='erod'
'a'+'rome'='arome'
'erod' going within 'arome' is 'AERODROME'.

(Other definitions for aerodrome that I've seen before include "go here if flying" , "Take windy Rome road East to the airfield" , "You might take flight from this" , "landing area" , "Point of arrival, perhaps" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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