Letter Codes, Airport Codes & Airline Designated Codes

1. Introduction

·         In the aviation and tourism industry, codes play a vital role.

·         Codes are used to identify airlines, airports, and cities.

·         These codes are assigned by:

o    International Air Transport Association (IATA)

o    International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

·         Purpose of Codes:

1.                 Standardization – same system is used worldwide.

2.                 Time Saving – avoids writing full names.

3.                 Avoids Confusion – especially in cities with multiple airports.

4.                 Smooth Functioning – ensures efficiency in ticketing, baggage handling, and ATC communication.

---

2. Types of Codes

(A) Airport Codes

1. IATA Airport Codes (3 letters)

·         Assigned by IATA for commercial use.

·         Found on tickets, boarding passes, and baggage tags.

·         Easy for passengers to understand.

·         Examples:

o    Delhi – DEL

o    Mumbai – BOM

o    London Heathrow – LHR

o    New York JFK – JFK

2. ICAO Airport Codes (4 letters)

·         Assigned by ICAO for operational use.

·         Used by air traffic control, pilots, and airline operations.

·         Usually structured with regional prefixes.

·         Examples:

o    Delhi – VIDP

o    Mumbai – VABB

o    London Heathrow – EGLL

o    New York JFK – KJFK

 

(B) Airline Codes

1. IATA Airline Codes (2 letters)

·         Assigned by IATA.

·         Used in tickets, timetables, and schedules.

·         Examples:

o    Air India – AI

o    Indigo – 6E

o    Emirates – EK

o    Lufthansa – LH

2. ICAO Airline Codes (3 letters)

·         Assigned by ICAO.

·         Used in operational communication with ATC.

·         Examples:

o    Air India – AIC

o    Indigo – IGO

o    Emirates – UAE

o    Lufthansa – DLH

 

(C) City Codes

·         Cities with multiple airports are represented by IATA city codes.

·         Examples:

o    New York – NYC (covers JFK, LGA, EWR)

o    London – LON (covers LHR, LGW, LCY, STN)

o    Tokyo – TYO (covers HND, NRT)

 

 

 

3. Importance in the Tourism Industry

1.     Ticketing – Codes make issuing tickets easier.

o    Example: AI 101, DEL–JFK.

2.     Baggage Handling – Airport codes are printed on baggage tags.

o    Example: DEL/JFK on bag.

3.     Reservation Systems – CRS/GDS (Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre) use codes.

4.     Avoiding Confusion – Example: Mumbai (BOM) vs. Boston (BOS).

5.     Global Standardization – Passengers, airlines, and airports use the same system worldwide.

 

4. Example (How Codes Work in Real Travel)

Passenger is flying from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK) on Air India (AI).

·         Ticket shows: AI 101 DEL–JFK

·         Baggage tag: DEL/JFK

·         Air Traffic Control (operational use): Flight AIC101 from VIDP → KJFK

👉 This shows that for a single flight, three types of codes are used:

·         IATA Codes – passenger-facing.

·         ICAO Codes – operational use.

·         City/Airport Codes – for routing and baggage.

 

5. Some Important IATA Codes (For Exams)

(a) Indian Airports

Airport	Code
Delhi – Indira Gandhi International	DEL
Mumbai – Chhatrapati Shivaji	BOM
Bengaluru – Kempegowda	BLR
Chennai – Meenambakkam	MAA
Kolkata – Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose	CCU
Hyderabad – Rajiv Gandhi	HYD

(b) World Airports

Airport	Code
London Heathrow	LHR
New York JFK	JFK
Paris Charles de Gaulle	CDG
Dubai	DXB
Singapore Changi	SIN
Tokyo Narita	NRT

(c) Airlines

Airline	IATA Code	ICAO Code
Air India	AI	AIC
Indigo	6E	IGO
Emirates	EK	UAE
Qatar Airways	QR	QTR
Lufthansa	LH	DLH
Singapore Airlines	SQ	SIA

---

6. Key Takeaway

·         IATA Codes (2/3 letters): Commercial use (tickets, baggage, passengers).

·         ICAO Codes (3/4 letters): Operational use (pilots, ATC, airline staff).

·         Mastering these codes is essential for tourism professionals to work effectively in ticketing, reservations, baggage handling, and global travel management.