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I have been looking through the rules and online for what flight does when used in combat, and can't seem the find the answer. I'm getting the impression that it is more meant to be descriptive than an ability, but it there are hints in at least one monster entry (Stirges) that it would aid in defense.
Can anyone advise me on which it is supposed to be?
Flight rules in 13th Age are pretty simple, and can be found on page 11 of True Ways.
Most of the time, flight is just a permission to avoid opportunity attacks and interception while moving past enemies you're not engaged with (if there's space and they can't fly too, of course).
Flight also grants the ability to attack without engaging, if both attacker and target are flying and the attacker takes a -2 attack penalty.
That's all the special mechanics flight grants; perhaps whatever monster you're looking at considers avoiding engagement a good defensive strategy?
From the 13th Age SRD:
Some classes have spells or talents that enable flight. The movement rules for flight are the same as for other movement, except that, as long as there is space available, you can fly over enemies you’re not engaged with without allowing them to take opportunity attacks against you. You can be intercepted only by other flyers that are already airborne.
The engagement and disengagement rules are also the same when flyers make melee attacks against enemies on the ground. The player may choose to swoop past another flyer, as part of another attack, instead of engaging it directly, at a -2 attack penalty.
