ICAO airport code
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The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: [aɪ'keɪˌjo]) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The ICAO codes are used by air traffic control and airline operations such as flight planning. They are not the same as the IATA codes encountered by the general public, which are used for airline timetables, reservations, and baggage handling. ICAO codes are also used to identify other locations such as weather stations, International Flight Service Stations or Area Control Centers, whether or not they are located at airports.
Unlike the IATA codes, the ICAO codes have a regional structure, are not duplicated and are comprehensive. In general, the first letter is allocated by continent and represents a country or group of countries within that continent. The second letter generally represents a country within that region, and the remaining two are used to identify each airport. The exception to this rule are larger countries that have single-letter country codes, where the remaining three letters identify the airport.
In the contiguous United States and Canada, most airports have been assigned three-letter IATA codes which are the same as their ICAO code without the leading K or C. e.g., YYC (Calgary International Airport, Calgary, Alberta) and CYYC, IAD (Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia) and KIAD. These codes are not to be confused with radio call signs, even though both countries use four-letter call signs starting with those letters.
However, because Alaska, Hawaii and other United States territories have their own 2-letter ICAO prefix, the situation there is similar to other smaller countries and the ICAO code of their airports is typically different from its corresponding 3-letter FAA/IATA identifier. For example, Hilo International Airport (PHTO vs ITO) and Juneau International Airport (PAJN vs JNU).
A list of airports, sorted by ICAO code, is available.
Prefixes
Some examples
EDDM: Bavaria - Franz Josef Strauss International Airport, Munich (IATA airport code MUC)EBBR: Belgium - Brussels International Airport, Brussels (IATA airport code BRU)
VTBD: Thailand - Don Muang International Airport, Bangkok (BKK)
FAJS: South Africa - Johannesburg International Airport, Johannesburg (JNB)
KBOS: United States - Logan International Airport, Boston (BOS)
KJFK: United States - John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK)
KORD: United States - O'Hare International Airport, Chicago (ORD)
LIRF: Italy - Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, Fiumicino, near Rome (FCO)
OMDB: United Arab Emirates - Dubai International Airport, Dubai (DXB)
TBPB: Barbados - Grantley Adams International Airport, near Bridgetown (BGI)
YSCB: Australia - Canberra (CBR)
VHHH: Hong Kong SAR, China - Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (HKG)
VOHY: India - Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad (HYD)
CYVR: Canada - Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, BC (YVR)
CPR2: Canada - Embrun Airport, Embrun, ON
Others are less logical; very few UK airports are obvious, for example:
EGLL - London Heathrow (LHR), EGKK - London Gatwick (LGW) (see also List of UK airfields)
See also
References
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