Airport Codes: Do Numbers Ever Come Before Letters?

Airport codes are typically three-letter geocode identifiers assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to airports and metropolitan areas worldwide. These codes are used to identify airports and metropolitan areas, with the characters prominently displayed on baggage tags attached at airport check-in desks. While most airport codes consist of letter combinations, some airport abbreviations include numbers. For example, Nashville International Airport in Tennessee uses the code BNA because its original name was Berry Field, which was established in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration.

Airport codes are three-letter geocodes assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)

To address these issues, a three-letter geocode system was implemented, offering 17,576 possible combinations. These codes are assigned based on IATA Resolution 763 and administered by the IATA's headquarters in Montreal, Canada. The codes are published semi-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. While most codes are derived from the names of the cities in which the airports are located, some codes are based on the airport's former name, pronunciation, or administrative division. Additionally, some airports serving cities with multiple airports may have codes derived from the airport's name rather than the city it serves.

• IND for Indianapolis
• JNB for Johannesburg
• JFK for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport
• LHR for London's Heathrow Airport
• CDG for Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport
• BNA for Nashville, Tennessee (originally Berry Field)
• YYZ for Toronto, Ontario
• MCO for Orlando International Airport (formerly McCoy Air Force Base)

Airports use numbers in certain situations, such as Dallas/Fort Worth's code, DFW

Airport codes are typically three-letter geocode designations, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These codes arose out of convenience for pilots in the 1930s, who initially used a two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS) for identifying cities. However, this system had its limitations, as it did not account for cities and towns without an NWS identifier, and it only allowed for a few hundred combinations. Thus, a three-letter system was implemented, allowing for 17,576 permutations.

While most airport codes are three letters, there are some notable exceptions where numbers are incorporated. One such example is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which uses the code DFW. This code is derived from the names of the two cities that the airport serves: Dallas and Fort Worth.

The use of numbers in airport codes is not limited to DFW, however. There are other instances where numbers are included, often to avoid confusion or duplication with other codes. For instance, some airports use a combination of letters and numbers, such as O16 for North Las Vegas Airport in Nevada. Additionally, some airports have special characters in their codes, like K30 for West Kootenay Regional Airport in Canada.

In certain situations, airport codes may also include a number as a suffix, added to the standard three-letter code. This is often seen with codes that are shared by multiple airports. For example, the code 06U is used for Benson Municipal Airport in Minnesota, while the code B65 refers to Arlington Municipal Airport in Washington state.

While less common, there are also instances of airport codes that consist solely of numbers. One example is 36U, which is the code for the airport in West Memphis, Arkansas. These numerical codes are typically used for smaller or regional airports and are often assigned by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in the United States.

Airports in the US use a two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS)

Airports in the US initially used a two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS) for identifying cities. This system was adopted by pilots in the 1930s for location identification. However, the two-letter system had limited combinations and was unmanageable for cities and towns without an NWS identifier. To address this, a three-letter system of airport codes was implemented, allowing for a significantly larger number of permutations.

Today, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) assigns three-letter geocode airport identifiers, which are used worldwide. These codes are published semi-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. However, some airports in the United States retained their NWS codes and simply appended an "X" at the end, such as Phoenix's airport code PHX.

The use of two-letter codes from the NWS is unique to the United States and is not followed outside the country. For example, Canada's airport codes bear little to no similarity to conventional abbreviations, often originating from the two-letter codes used to identify weather reporting stations in the 1930s.

While most large airports in Canada have codes that begin with the letter "Y," denoting the presence of a weather station, this is not always the case. Some major airports, like Toronto Pearson (YYZ), have codes that begin with "YY," indicating that they are one of the ten provincial capital airports in Canada.

Airports without scheduled passenger traffic have ICAO codes but not IATA codes

Airport codes are used to identify airports and metropolitan areas around the world. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) uses three-letter geocodes, while the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) uses four-letter codes.

A lot of minor airfields without scheduled passenger traffic have ICAO codes but not IATA codes. IATA codes are mainly used for passenger services such as tickets, while ICAO codes are used by pilots. In the US, such airfields use FAA codes instead of ICAO codes.

There are airports with scheduled service that have ICAO codes but not IATA codes, such as Nkhotakota Airport/Tangole Airport in Malawi or Chōfu Airport in Tokyo, Japan. There are also several minor airports in Russia (e.g. Omsukchan Airport) that lack IATA codes and instead use internal Russian codes for booking. Flights to these airports cannot be booked through international air booking systems, and luggage cannot be transferred there.

Airports with scheduled services may not have ICAO codes but will have IATA codes

Airport codes are used to identify aerodromes around the world. There are three main types of airport codes: ICAO, IATA, and FAA LIDs, each serving a specific purpose.

ICAO codes are four-letter codes assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization. They are used globally in flight operations and air traffic control. The first letter of the ICAO code denotes the general geographic region of the airport, e.g. E for Northern Europe, S for South America, and C for Canada. The second letter narrows it down to the country. The last two letters identify specific airports and usually relate to the city's name. For example, the airport in Cape Town, South Africa, uses FACT for its code, with FA being South Africa's code, and CT standing for Cape Town.

IATA codes are three-letter codes issued by the International Air Transport Association. They are used for flight ticketing, baggage handling, and cargo shipping. Unlike ICAO codes, individual letters in IATA codes do not give any geographic information. They are, however, more intuitive as they don't need to follow ICAO's regional rules. For example, the IATA code for Sydney, Australia, is SYD, while the IATA code for Sydney, Canada, is YQY.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) assigns Location Identifiers (LIDs) to airports within the United States. LIDs are three or four letters long and are only involved in domestic flight operations. Every registered airport in the United States has an FAA LID. The US has some local restrictions on some letters. LIDs aren't supposed to start with the letters K, N, Q, W, Y, and Z.

While ICAO and IATA codes are used for different purposes, there is some overlap between them. In the contiguous United States and Canada, many airports have ICAO codes that are simply copies of their three-letter IATA codes, with the geographical prefix added on. For example, YEG and CYEG both refer to Edmonton International Airport, while IAD and KIAD both refer to Washington Dulles International Airport.

In summary, airports with scheduled services may not have ICAO codes but will have IATA codes. This is because IATA codes are used for flight ticketing, baggage handling, and cargo shipping, while ICAO codes are used for flight operations and air traffic control. Additionally, IATA codes are generally more intuitive and easier for passengers and shippers to use, whereas ICAO codes are concise and unambiguous for pilots and ATC.

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