[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":525},["ShallowReactive",2],{"learn-\u002Flearn\u002Ficao-vs-iata-codes":3,"learn-nav-\u002Flearn\u002Ficao-vs-iata-codes":494},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":428,"description":429,"draft":430,"extension":431,"faqs":432,"howTo":442,"keyTakeaways":449,"meta":454,"navigation":455,"path":456,"quiz":457,"seo":482,"series":483,"seriesOrder":483,"sources":484,"stem":491,"topic":492,"__hash__":493},"learn\u002Flearn\u002Ficao-vs-iata-codes.md","ICAO vs IATA codes explained",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":418},"minimark",[9,13,19,24,36,105,111,115,126,178,192,196,273,298,302,311,359,363,397,401],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Every airport and airline carries more than one code, and which one you reach for depends entirely on whether you are buying a ticket or planning a flight.",[14,15,16],"blockquote",{},[10,17,18],{},"This is general educational information, not operational, legal, or regulatory advice. Rules differ by authority and change over time. Always verify against current official sources and follow your operator's approved procedures.",[20,21,23],"h2",{"id":22},"two-codes-two-jobs","Two codes, two jobs",[10,25,26,27,31,32,35],{},"An airport has both an ",[28,29,30],"strong",{},"IATA"," code and an ",[28,33,34],{},"ICAO"," code, and they exist for different audiences.",[37,38,39,76],"ul",{},[40,41,42,43,52,53,56,57,61,62,61,65,68,69,75],"li",{},"The ",[28,44,45],{},[46,47,51],"a",{"href":48,"className":49},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-iata-code",[50],"glossary-link","IATA code"," is the ",[28,54,55],{},"three-letter"," one you see on a boarding pass, a baggage tag and a fare: ",[58,59,60],"code",{},"LHR",", ",[58,63,64],{},"JFK",[58,66,67],{},"SYD",". It is a commercial, passenger-facing identifier managed by the ",[46,70,74],{"href":71,"rel":72},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iata.org\u002Fen\u002Fpublications\u002Fdirectories\u002Fcode-search\u002F",[73],"nofollow","International Air Transport Association",", and it is not built on any strict geographic system.",[40,77,42,78,52,81,84,85,61,88,61,91,94,95,98,99,104],{},[28,79,80],{},"ICAO code",[28,82,83],{},"four-letter"," one used to actually operate the flight: ",[58,86,87],{},"EGLL",[58,89,90],{},"KJFK",[58,92,93],{},"YSSY",". It is the ",[28,96,97],{},"location indicator"," assigned under ",[46,100,103],{"href":101,"rel":102},"https:\u002F\u002Fstore.icao.int\u002Fen\u002Flocation-indicators-doc-7910",[73],"ICAO Doc 7910"," and it appears in flight plans, ATC, charts, METARs and NOTAMs.",[10,106,107,108],{},"The simplest way to keep them apart: ",[28,109,110],{},"three letters is commercial, four letters is operational.",[20,112,114],{"id":113},"why-icao-codes-are-four-letters","Why ICAO codes are four letters",[10,116,117,118,121,122,125],{},"The extra letter is not padding, it is structure. ICAO location indicators are ",[28,119,120],{},"regional",": the first letter (and often the second) encodes the part of the world and the country, so the code tells you roughly where the aerodrome is before you know anything else. A few examples of the first-letter regions, per ",[46,123,103],{"href":101,"rel":124},[73],", which assigns and publishes every location indicator:",[37,127,128,149,164],{},[40,129,130,133,134,137,138,140,141,144,145,148],{},[28,131,132],{},"E"," covers northern Europe, with ",[28,135,136],{},"EG"," for the United Kingdom (",[58,139,87],{}," Heathrow, ",[58,142,143],{},"EGKK"," Gatwick) and ",[28,146,147],{},"ED"," for Germany.",[40,150,151,154,155,61,157,160,161,163],{},[28,152,153],{},"K"," is the contiguous United States (",[58,156,90],{},[58,158,159],{},"KLAX","), so a US ICAO code is very often just ",[58,162,153],{}," plus the familiar IATA code.",[40,165,166,169,170,173,174,177],{},[28,167,168],{},"L"," covers southern Europe, ",[28,171,172],{},"Y"," is Australia, ",[28,175,176],{},"C"," is Canada.",[10,179,180,181,184,185,188,189,191],{},"IATA codes carry no such system, which is why some look nothing like their city: ",[58,182,183],{},"ORD"," for Chicago O'Hare, ",[58,186,187],{},"YYZ"," for Toronto, ",[58,190,60],{}," for a city whose name starts with neither L, H nor R in an obvious way.",[20,193,195],{"id":194},"a-worked-example","A worked example",[197,198,199,215],"table",{},[200,201,202],"thead",{},[203,204,205,209,212],"tr",{},[206,207,208],"th",{},"Airport",[206,210,211],{},"IATA (ticket)",[206,213,214],{},"ICAO (operational)",[216,217,218,232,245,258],"tbody",{},[203,219,220,224,228],{},[221,222,223],"td",{},"London Heathrow",[221,225,226],{},[58,227,60],{},[221,229,230],{},[58,231,87],{},[203,233,234,237,241],{},[221,235,236],{},"New York JFK",[221,238,239],{},[58,240,64],{},[221,242,243],{},[58,244,90],{},[203,246,247,250,254],{},[221,248,249],{},"Sydney",[221,251,252],{},[58,253,67],{},[221,255,256],{},[58,257,93],{},[203,259,260,263,268],{},[221,261,262],{},"Tokyo Haneda",[221,264,265],{},[58,266,267],{},"HND",[221,269,270],{},[58,271,272],{},"RJTT",[10,274,275,276,278,279,282,283,286,287,290,291,294,295,297],{},"Notice JFK: the US ICAO code is the IATA code with a ",[58,277,153],{}," in front. That shortcut works for most of the contiguous United States, but ",[28,280,281],{},"not"," for Alaska or Hawaii, which sit in the Pacific ",[58,284,285],{},"P"," region (",[58,288,289],{},"PANC"," for Anchorage, ",[58,292,293],{},"PHNL"," for Honolulu), so do not assume ",[58,296,153],{}," plus the IATA code always works.",[20,299,301],{"id":300},"airlines-have-codes-too","Airlines have codes too",[10,303,304,305,310],{},"The same split applies to operators, under ",[46,306,309],{"href":307,"rel":308},"https:\u002F\u002Fstore.icao.int\u002Fen\u002Fdesignators-for-aircraft-operating-agencies-aeronautical-authorities-and-services-doc-8585",[73],"ICAO Doc 8585",":",[37,312,313,330],{},[40,314,315,316,319,320,61,323,61,326,329],{},"A ",[28,317,318],{},"two-letter IATA"," code for the commercial side: ",[58,321,322],{},"BA",[58,324,325],{},"AA",[58,327,328],{},"LH",". It is what you see in a flight number.",[40,331,315,332,335,336,61,339,61,342,345,346,349,350,352,353,355,356,358],{},[28,333,334],{},"three-letter ICAO"," designator for operations: ",[58,337,338],{},"BAW",[58,340,341],{},"AAL",[58,343,344],{},"DLH",". It pairs with a spoken ",[28,347,348],{},"telephony callsign",", so ",[58,351,338],{}," is \"Speedbird\", ",[58,354,344],{}," is \"Lufthansa\", ",[58,357,341],{}," is \"American\". ATC and flight plans use the ICAO designator and the callsign, never the two-letter IATA code.",[20,360,362],{"id":361},"common-pitfalls","Common pitfalls",[37,364,365,383,391],{},[40,366,367,370,371,373,374,379,380,382],{},[28,368,369],{},"Weather and NOTAMs need the ICAO code."," Typing ",[58,372,60],{}," into a weather lookup will not return Heathrow's ",[46,375,378],{"href":376,"className":377},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-metar",[50],"METAR","; you need ",[58,381,87],{},".",[40,384,385,390],{},[28,386,387,389],{},[58,388,153],{}," plus the IATA code is a shortcut, not a rule."," It breaks for Alaska, Hawaii, and outside the contiguous United States entirely.",[40,392,393,396],{},[28,394,395],{},"Two airports can share neither code obviously."," Always confirm the four-letter ICAO indicator from an official source before filing or briefing.",[20,398,400],{"id":399},"in-pilot-efb","In Pilot EFB",[10,402,403,404,411,412,417],{},"Pilot EFB's airport reference and weather lookups work on the ",[28,405,406],{},[46,407,410],{"href":408,"className":409},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-icao-location-indicator",[50],"ICAO location indicator",", the same four-letter code ATC and the flight plan use, so what you brief lines up with what you file. It is a personal reference held on your device; Pilot EFB is offline-first and is not a certified Electronic Flight Bag, so confirm any code against the official ",[46,413,416],{"href":414,"className":415},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gt-aip",[50],"AIP"," or charts before you rely on it.",{"title":419,"searchDepth":420,"depth":420,"links":421},"",2,[422,423,424,425,426,427],{"id":22,"depth":420,"text":23},{"id":113,"depth":420,"text":114},{"id":194,"depth":420,"text":195},{"id":300,"depth":420,"text":301},{"id":361,"depth":420,"text":362},{"id":399,"depth":420,"text":400},"2026-06-20","The difference between the 4-letter ICAO location indicators used for flight planning and weather and the 3-letter IATA codes on your boarding pass, plus airline codes and callsigns.",false,"md",[433,436,439],{"q":434,"a":435},"What is the difference between an ICAO and an IATA airport code?","An ICAO code is a four-letter location indicator used operationally, in flight plans, ATC, weather reports and charts, for example EGLL for London Heathrow. An IATA code is a three-letter code used commercially, on tickets and baggage tags, for example LHR. ICAO codes are regionally structured; IATA codes are not.",{"q":437,"a":438},"Why does a METAR or NOTAM use a four-letter code, not the airport code on my ticket?","Because weather reports, NOTAMs, flight plans and ATC all run on the ICAO location indicator, which is the four-letter operational code. The three-letter IATA code from a boarding pass will not retrieve a METAR. For New York JFK you need KJFK, not JFK.",{"q":440,"a":441},"What is the difference between an airline's IATA and ICAO code?","An airline has a two-letter IATA code used on tickets and flight numbers, such as BA, and a three-letter ICAO code used in flight plans and on the radio, such as BAW, which pairs with a spoken telephony callsign, in this case 'Speedbird'. ATC uses the ICAO designator and callsign, not the IATA code.",{"name":443,"steps":444},"Tell which kind of code you are looking at",[445,446,447,448],"Count the letters: three letters is an IATA airport code, four letters is an ICAO location indicator.","Check the context: a boarding pass, baggage tag or fare uses IATA; a METAR, NOTAM, flight plan or chart uses ICAO.","For an airline, two letters is the IATA code (tickets), three letters is the ICAO designator (flight plans and R\u002FT), spoken as a telephony callsign.","When fetching weather or filing, always use the four-letter ICAO indicator for the aerodrome.",[450,451,452,453],"ICAO airport codes are four letters and operational (flight plans, ATC, weather, charts); IATA codes are three letters and commercial (tickets, baggage).","ICAO location indicators are regionally structured: the first letter or two encode the region and country, such as EG for the UK and K for the contiguous United States.","METARs, NOTAMs and flight plans use the ICAO four-letter code, never the IATA code from a boarding pass.","Airlines have a two-letter IATA code for tickets and a three-letter ICAO designator plus a spoken callsign for ATC.",{},true,"\u002Flearn\u002Ficao-vs-iata-codes",[458,466,474],{"q":459,"options":460,"answer":464,"explanation":465},"Which code would you use to fetch a METAR for London Heathrow?",[461,462,463,338],"LHR (IATA)","EGLL (ICAO)","Either works",1,"Weather reports use the four-letter ICAO location indicator, EGLL. The three-letter IATA code LHR is for tickets and baggage, not for fetching a METAR.",{"q":467,"options":468,"answer":420,"explanation":473},"How many letters are in an ICAO airport location indicator?",[469,470,471,472],"Two","Three","Four","It varies","An ICAO location indicator is always four letters, such as EGLL or KJFK. The three-letter code is the IATA one.",{"q":475,"options":476,"answer":464,"explanation":481},"An airline's spoken radio callsign (for example 'Speedbird') is tied to which code?",[477,478,479,480],"Its two-letter IATA code","Its three-letter ICAO designator","Its flight number","Its IATA airport code","The telephony callsign pairs with the three-letter ICAO airline designator (BAW = Speedbird), used in flight plans and on the radio, not the two-letter IATA code.",{"title":5,"description":429},null,[485,487,489],{"label":486,"url":101},"ICAO Doc 7910: Location Indicators",{"label":488,"url":307},"ICAO Doc 8585: Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services",{"label":490,"url":71},"IATA: airline and location code search","learn\u002Ficao-vs-iata-codes","Briefing","PNAHJX8_q5w4IgPiAXtJv6Vs5xM_dTDsqm0hTih6Bss",{"related":495,"newer":514,"older":520,"series":483},[496,502,507],{"path":497,"title":498,"description":499,"date":500,"topic":492,"draft":430,"minutes":501,"series":483,"seriesOrder":483},"\u002Flearn\u002Funderstanding-notams","Understanding NOTAMs","What a NOTAM is, how the ICAO format and Q-line are built, the difference between NOTAMN, NOTAMR and NOTAMC, and how to deal with NOTAM overload.","2026-06-15",4,{"path":503,"title":504,"description":505,"date":506,"topic":492,"draft":430,"minutes":501,"series":483,"seriesOrder":483},"\u002Flearn\u002Foffline-first-preflight-briefing","The offline-first preflight briefing","What the rules require you to check before flight, how to build a self-brief, and the honest difference between offline-first and working fully offline.","2026-06-11",{"path":508,"title":509,"description":510,"date":511,"topic":492,"draft":430,"minutes":501,"series":512,"seriesOrder":513},"\u002Flearn\u002Fhow-to-read-a-pirep","How to read a PIREP","Decode a pilot weather report field by field, understand the UA and UUA types and the slash-coded elements, and see how a PIREP fills the gaps between weather stations.","2026-06-07","decode-the-weather",5,{"path":515,"title":516,"description":517,"date":518,"topic":519,"draft":430,"minutes":501,"series":483,"seriesOrder":483},"\u002Flearn\u002Ftop-of-descent-and-the-3-to-1-rule","Top of descent and the 3:1 rule","How to work out your top of descent with the 3:1 rule, the 60-to-1 relationship behind it, and the rate of descent that holds a roughly 3 degree path, with a worked example.","2026-06-21","Operations",{"path":521,"title":522,"description":523,"date":428,"topic":519,"draft":430,"minutes":524,"series":483,"seriesOrder":483},"\u002Flearn\u002Fmach-number-and-true-airspeed","Mach number, true airspeed and the speed of sound","How the speed of sound depends on temperature, why Mach number rises as you climb at a constant true airspeed, and how indicated, calibrated, true airspeed and Mach relate.",3,1781989191794]