Airport Codes Explained A LESSON ABOUT THREE AND FOUR LETTER AIRPORT CODES CLICK HERE TO START.

transcript

Airport Codes Explained

A LESSON ABOUT THREE AND FOUR LETTER AIRPORT CODES

CLICK HERE TO START

Navigation

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Lesson Plan

Let’s get started

Objectives

Airport Codes

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Note: You won’t be able to go back to the content part of the lesson if you click on Quiz here

Why do airport codes matter?

As the airport system grew in size in the 1930’s, it was necessary to designate airports with a three letter code, enabling 17,576 different unique identifiers

As an aviation management student, you will soon realize that most aviation professionals will refer to airports by their letter codes only, necessitating the need for you to have a basic understanding of the most important airport codes

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But before we get started … Based on the airport code shown , click on the correct city name:

Chicago O’Hare

Los Angeles Intl. Airport

Newark Liberty International

Chicago O’Hare

Wrong, try again!

Chicago O’Hare

You’ve got it! Great job!

Calgary International Airport

Vancouver International Airport

Toronto Pearson Airport

Wrong, try again!

You’ve got it! Great job!

Objectives

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Identify airport letter codes for major airports

Understand the different systems of airport codes

Airport Letter Code Systems

LAX for Los Angeles

As you have seen in the intro quiz, many airports have easy to derive letter codes:

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YYZ for Toronto

Others do not:

OAK for Oakland

As you have seen in the intro quiz, many airports have easy to derive letter codes:

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ORD for Chicago O’Hare

Others do not:

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The more often used 3-letter airport codes are mostly determined by IATA, the

International Air Transport Association

The 4-letter airport codes used by pilots are

determined by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation

Organization, A United Nations specialized agency

1 2The problem is that these two standards may or may

not align. More on the next slide!

ICAO four

letter codes

IATA three letter codes

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For most airports, no similarity exists:

VIE– IATA CodeLOWW– ICAO Code

Some overlap exists between the two different systems:

LAX – IATA CodeKLAX – ICAO Code

ICAO four

letter codes

IATA three letter codes

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Some, however, have only ICAO designators

or only IATA designators

Most airports have both ICAO and IATA

letter codes

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For ICAO airport codes, the geographic location determines the first letter of the

airport identifier.

Click on the United States to see some

airport codes

Watch the YouTube video on this slide to get even more information about

3-letter airport codes

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LAXLos Angeles International Airport

Before the 1930’s, airports had two-letter codes. When codes

switched to three letters, many added the letter ‘X’ to the end. LA

(Los Angeles) became LAX.

ORDChicago O’Hare International Airport

Before the airport was renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Edward O’Hare in 1949, it was

known as Orchard Field Airport.

JFK John F. Kennedy International Airport New

In 1963, Idlewild Airport was renamed in dedication to John F.

Kennedy. It also changed its three-letter airport code from IDL to JFK.

The stories can help you to memorize the airport codes!

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IADDulles International Airport

Washington D.C.

Dulles International Airport’s three-letter code was once DIA. When hand-written, it was often

misread as DCA, another Washington airport. It was

reversed to IAD to avoid confusion.

DFWDallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Dallas–Fort Worth

For decades Dallas and Fort Worth ran competing airports, but in 1969 construction finally

began on a joint airport to serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

SFOSan Francisco International Airport

San Francisco

Before the 1930’s, airports had two-letter codes. When codes switched

to three letters, many added the letter ‘X’ to the end. San Francisco

instead used its last letter ‘O’.

The stories can help you to memorize the airport codes!

YVRVancouver International Airport

Vancouver, Canada

Y designates a Canadian airport. Vancouver International is actually

located in the city of Richmond, but gets its other two letters from the

major port city it serves, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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YYCCalgary International Airport

Calgary, Canada

With a few exceptions, airport codes starting with ‘Y’ designate Canadian airports. The second ‘Y’ is a filler letter and the ‘C’ comes

from its home in the city of Calgary.

YYZPearson International Airport

Toronto, Canada

Y designates a Canadian airport. The ‘YZ’ isn't as clear, but is said

to be the old railway station code for Malton, an area west of Toronto where the airport is

located.

Remember: All Canadian three letter airport codes start with a ‘Y’

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ABCAeropuerto de Albacete

Albacete, Spain

Opened in 1929, Albacete Airport is located on Los Llanos Air Base and serves the city of Albacete.

SUXSioux Gateway Airport

Sioux City, USA

Sioux City petitioned twice to have its airport code SUX changed. With no great

alternatives, they stuck with it and now use the slogan “Fly SUX.”

DOHDoha Airport, Qatar

Often called “New Doha Airport,” Hamad International opened in May

of 2014, replacing Doha International Airport as the primary

airport for Qatar’s capital city.

Do you have a “home airport” and would you like to find out the story behind its code? Click on the picture to open a website and find out for yourself!

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It’s Quiz Time

ICAO and IATA airport codes are always identical

Answer the following question:

BackNot ready yet? Go back to the main content area

It’s Quiz Time

Wrong, try again!

It’s Quiz Time

You’ve got it, great job!

ICAO and IATA airport codes are only

sometimes identical

It’s Quiz Time Answer the following question:

JFK is the airport designation for Newark

International Airport

Wrong, try again!

EWR is the airport code for Newark

What would be the ICAO airport code for Boston, given

that the IATA code is ‘BOS’

Type your answer here:

What would be the ICAO airport code for Boston, given

that the IATA code is ‘BOS’

If you entered, KBOS, great job! If not, you may want to go back to the slides to review the material

What was the story behind the three letter code of

Chicago O’Hare?

Type your answer here:

What was the story behind the three letter code of

Chicago O’Hare?

If you entered that prior to 1949, the airport was known as Orchard Field Airport, great job! If not, you may want to review the lesson.

Most airports have both ICAO and IATA airport code. Some however, have only a three or a four letter code,

but not both.

Wrong, try again!

but not both.

The three letter codes for Canadian airports always

end with the letter ‘Z’ – for example – YYZ for Toronto

Wrong, try again!

Canadian airports codes always start with the letter ‘Y’

It’s Quiz Time

YVR YYC

ATLDFW

Click on the three letter code for

It’s Quiz Time

YVR YYC

ATLDFW

Wrong, try again!

It’s Quiz Time

YVR YYC

ATLDFW

That is the airport code for Vancouver!

Great job! You have successfully completed this lesson!

Objectives

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Identify airport letter codes for major U.S. airports

Understand the methodology of airport codes

LAX for Los AngelesHKG for Hong Kong

As you can see, many airports have easy to derive letter codes:

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ORD for Chicago O’Hare

Others do not:

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For ICAO airport codes, the geographic location determines the first letter of the

airport identifier.

Click on the United States to see some

airport codes

Los Angeles: KLAXNew York, La Guardia: KLGA

Chicago O’Hare: KORD

Are you starting to see a pattern?

For the U.S., ICAO airports are structured as K + IATA airport code

It’s Quiz Time

YVR YYC

ATLDFW

Click on the three letter code for

Airport Codes Explained A LESSON ABOUT THREE AND FOUR LETTER AIRPORT CODES CLICK HERE TO START.

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