Airports generally have three letter codes, and they tend to confuse people, given the lack of consistent naming mechanisms. If you’ve ever been curious about where an airport code comes from, I’d like to take a closer look at this, as there’s a handy website that will tell you. I think avgeeks in particular will…
Continue reading: Demystifying Airport Codes: How Are They Chosen, Exactly?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Most memorable codes for me are from booking a ticket from Fukuoka to Miyazaki. That gets you an email confirmation with the codes FUKKMI in the header.
( Sorry!)
As someone who has been through the process of "sponsoring" an airport code multiple times, that site doesn't even come close to providing the correct information.
Airport codes allocated by IATA (the "three letter codes") actually need to be sponsored/requested by an IATA member airline who intends to fly there. The actual airport operator or anyone else has no standing to initiate the process - it must be done through a member airline. It is heavily bureaucratic and involves demonstrating the airport's existence (through photographs), its facilities (through AIP or NOTAMs), the exact GPS coordinates for the aerodrome reference point, and eventually the preferred three letter code for the airport. The sponsoring airline can provide any three letter code they want as part of the request, and no explanation is required to request the code (although IATA will sometimes query if something too outlandish is requested without a clear connection, the sponsoring airline remains the one who has to "accept" the allocation).
In most cases, the sponsoring airline (traditionally the "senior" IATA member airline in the country where the airport is located, or the nearest country if no IATA member airlines are headquartered there) and the airport operator will work closely together to determine the preferred code for the airport from the available list.
There are also "airport" codes you can use with reservation systems which are codes for metropolitan areas, but not specific airports: LON, TYO and NYC come to mind. There is no actual "LON" airport but it will match flights to all the major London airports.
You've also got:
- former city names (that's FRUnze for Bishkek or SaiGoN for Ho-Chi-Minh City)
- completely random stuff (that's FNJ for Pyongyang, unless anyone knows)
35 mins in and 1990 hasnt made his customary stupid ass "HEL" joke yet?
wow hes slipping
And for more random trivia, no US codes start with the letter "N" as that was originally held for Naval airfields or other military sites. So, Newark, for instance, is EWR. There may be a few exceptions now as old Naval airports are being used for civilian use.
I reckon, mostly, Canadian airport codes are named after the two-letter Canadian Railway codes, prefixed with "Y". The "Y" originally shows if the airfield had a weather station alongside or not.
There are literal flights between Fukuoka, Japan, and Busan, South Korea. FUK-PUS.
Now that Palm Beach Airport has been renamed under Trump, should the new code be "KID"....?
Sounds like a ridiculous and overcomplicated process to me. I have been in business for over 40 years across many different industries and can tell you with certainty that there is no more needlessly complicated industry than aviation.
YUL comes from :
Y for Canadian Airport + UL as a reminder of a former radio beacon located in Dorval having this codename
FRU was recoded to BSZ recently, actually. The Kyrgyz always hated that the Russians called Bishkek Frunze (or so I've been told). I'm surprised they waited this long to change the airport code.
@Icarus - It is a lot better now that they have moved to an online portal than it was before when you had to fax the documents to Montreal and send the originals by courier to follow. IATA never found an activity for which they could not write an overly complex process - although to be fair, the principles of this procedure are fairly solid.
1990, you are replying to that GA preacher who likes to misappropriate my login. I’ve been soaring again today. Some magic thermals to fly.
Someone is using my name however I didn’t write this. @ben can you not implement something to prevent duplication of names. The real Icarus, son of Daedalus.
Another slow news day, reposting articles. Why? Enjoy your vacation. Otherwise, is it done to increase ad revenue for the site?
So, Andy 'the king of the north' Burnham, it is, then? (Kinda looks like John Oliver!)
1990, there are more people than you might think who are sad to see “The knee” resign. We are sad not because the numpty will be missed, not because he did anything good for Great Britain, no, we are sad because he didn’t take the rest of his champagne socialists with him.
I defy any sane person to name one Western politician who has sufficient ability or integrity, to be called a real statesman or stateswoman.
Being an AA Executive Platinum and a proud gay man, I will say that any and all dealings with CLT are against my will.
So, Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport and Arathusa Safari Lodge Airport it is then!
I also enjoy PIE, 1990. I think JDH's two favorites are DUM and ASS. DUM-ASS. Or perhaps XXS-DIK, amirite?
Aero, your thoughts on Garys Economics? Tax wealth, not labor. Or, you more an Elon fan? Blame those that look different, speak different languages, worship other gods, etc., while the rich make everyone else poor (neo-feudalism + bigotry).
Yeah, that guy (the imposter) is in this thread, for sure. (He's the one that went by @penile, @greenberg traurig, etc.)
Ah, yes, Arathusa Safari Lodge Airport. Perfect for those seeking the Big Five.
Fun fact: A few years back, Munich needed an alternative city code for its licenses plates - the original ‚M‘ had exhausted all possible combinations. So as a new code, cars registered in Munich now also have ‚MUC‘ on their license plates, after Munich airport‘s IATA 3-letter code.
1990, you ask: is one a Gary or Elon fan?
Why do I have to be one or the other?
Is it not possible for someone be concerned about wealth concentration while also believing cultural issues deserve attention on their own merits?
Eastern Air Lines did and AA currently does now, of course with diRECT flights ... Route planning should assign #69 to at least one of the 'servixes' !
Alrighty, no false dichotomies on here. So, Farage all-the-way, for you? Nothing like a millionaire former commodities trader who traffics in demagoguery to 'save' you. (Ignore those silly £5 million 'gifts' from crypto-billionaires with ties to pro-Kremlin media platforms and sanctioned Russian oligarchs... just like Marine La-Put-en to the south)
The truth of the matter is 1990, it is only a matter of time before two things happen.
Firstly, we are off …. don’t you know. More rats leaving this sinking ship.
Secondly, we are not long for this ‘earthly paradise’ anyway, therefore, why waste time contemplating the negative implications of one’s remaining existence?
One of my favorites is FAT Fresno Air Terminal which I had a client flying there accuse me of calling him " fat". Serriously. It was an '80s thing.....
For the next generation to settle, I guess. Enjoy the La Premiere while you can!
My home airport is Fresno CA with the code FAT for fresno air terminal. Most airports have free wifi that you can log into. I still chuckle whenever I scroll down the list of available networks and see
FAT FREE WIFI
Who else has low calorie wifi ??
how would you know, Aero?
Aren't you a late 70s retired Brit?
It's almost like you aren't...
Then comes the codes that pilots and navigation databases like Jeppesen use. US contiguous 48 states start Kilo (K) so...KORD or KlAX then comes Hawaii which uses a Papa (P) for so PHNL. The root of that one is easy...Pacific
Now Europe blows my mind LHR=EGLL CDG=LFPG.
Talking about Airport Codes, could anybody tell American Airlines that the IATA Code for San Sebastian in Spain (airport is ON the border w/France making it excellent for the French Basque Country) is EAS, possibly for Eastern Asturias.
American recognizes EAS as "Easter Island", ridiculous as the Easter Island code is IPQ ("Isla de Pascua" in spanish).
This has gone on for years... I find it IMPOSSIBLE to book any ticket to/from San Sebastian on the AA site, which is not a problem for tickets I purchase (thanks to the British Airways and Iberia sites), but it is is annoying to buy award tickets within Spain (especially as there is a good deal for Domestic Spanish award tickets, 10K and `15K in Coach and Business) .
The trick is then to call AA and to book by telephone, at least when they believe you saying that the San Sebastian code is EAS. Sometimes, they "Know Better".
We have a good one here in Fresno, CA.... "FAT". When you are in the terminal their wifi is labeled: "FAT Free wifi".
I have always found the 4-letter codes difficult outside of the US and Canada. Canada is easy starting with C, US is always K as you mention with exception of Alaska and Hawaii.
The codes in Europe just boggle my mind!
I think AHL would be best for Palm Beach - meaning ASSHOLE.
Perfect description of Trump and the zombie inhabitants of Palm Beach.
I can't believe nobody has mentioned SUX - Sioux City, IA.
Appropriate code because it's a place that truly SUX.
Well, well, I have learned something new Alex. Thank you for making today another school day.
Today on 'things that never happened': I always chuckle when I receive my boarding pass for a Montgomery County, MD to Sembach, Germany flight.
Exactly. Let’s do only regularly scheduled commercial flights. I think FUK-PUS, CLT-PNS, SIN-HEL are the three two.
Ok! Do you know something which I don’t 1990? …. “While you can”? …. 🙂
Besides, how did you know that we have another AF LP flight booked to SIN?
You weren't kidding... only flights from there seem to be DEN or ORD on UA. Oof. That... SUX.