IATA airport code

From WikiAir

International Air Transport Association

An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The characters prominently displayed on baggage tags attached at airport check-in desks are an example of a way these codes are used.

The assignment of these codes is governed by IATA Resolution 767, and it is administered by IATA headquarters in Montreal. The codes are published tri-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. The codes are not unique: 323 of the possible 17,576 codes are used by more than one airport.

While the IATA codes are the most familiar airport codes to passengers, the 4-letter ICAO airport codes are becoming increasingly common within aviation. All international flights are flight-planned and tracked using ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) designators, and most GPS databases use ICAO codes to avoid conflicts with three-letter navigation-aid codes. Many countries, such as Canada, no longer use IATA codes in their official aeronautical publications.

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