[title changed by admin to make it clearer]
Guys AND girls,
I need to ask something...
What does the airport codes mean?
I thought like e.g. EBBR the E stands for Europe the B for Belgium and BR the first two characters of the Airport. But I guess that's not correct if we look at the code of New York John F. Kennedy this is KJFK... So my question is do they mean anything?
The same with aircraft registrations: There is a LTU Airbus A330 with the registration D-AERG I didn't look for an answer on that one. What is actually the use of registrations apart from naming your aircraft?
Cheers
Kind regards
Capt.
What do these codes mean?
Moderator: Latest news team
Hello,
I found an "short" history and explanation of the airport coding, checkout the following link:
http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html
Air_Lac
I found an "short" history and explanation of the airport coding, checkout the following link:
http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html
Air_Lac
Capt,
For airports you have two kinds of codes. The three letter one and the 4 letter one. In the US they've just put a K infront of the three letter code for each airport: like JFK --> KJFK, BOS--> KBOS etc...
In Europe I never figured out the system. All I know is that in the North and Belgian latitudes (including Germany) they use the E letter to start the code. When you travel more to the south they use the L letter to start the code
As for Belgium, I think you might be right with the B standing for Belgium and then the 2 other letters for the airport like EBBR --> BRussels ; EBOS --> OStend; EBLG --> LieGe etc ...
Chris
8)
For airports you have two kinds of codes. The three letter one and the 4 letter one. In the US they've just put a K infront of the three letter code for each airport: like JFK --> KJFK, BOS--> KBOS etc...
In Europe I never figured out the system. All I know is that in the North and Belgian latitudes (including Germany) they use the E letter to start the code. When you travel more to the south they use the L letter to start the code
As for Belgium, I think you might be right with the B standing for Belgium and then the 2 other letters for the airport like EBBR --> BRussels ; EBOS --> OStend; EBLG --> LieGe etc ...
Chris
8)
It looks like:
E= Europe
X=Country
XX=City code
EBBR:
E=Europe
B=Belgium
BR=Brussels
EHAM:
E=Europe
H=Holland
AM=Amsterdam
Looks pretty logical but lets go on, for example Sevilla, Spain:
LEZL:
L=??? not europe
E=España
ZL=Zevilla
So there goes my theory but I think I am pretty close, who knows the answer??????
Greetz,
Erwin
E= Europe
X=Country
XX=City code
EBBR:
E=Europe
B=Belgium
BR=Brussels
EHAM:
E=Europe
H=Holland
AM=Amsterdam
Looks pretty logical but lets go on, for example Sevilla, Spain:
LEZL:
L=??? not europe
E=España
ZL=Zevilla
So there goes my theory but I think I am pretty close, who knows the answer??????
Greetz,
Erwin
A Whole Different Animal
Some more clarifications :
- 3 letter codes are the IATA codes (commercial)
- 4 letter codes are the ICAO codes. (airport auth)
USA used the IATA codes with K infront
Canada used the IATA codes with C in front.
Sometimes the airport name is used in it (abbreviation) such as LFPG (CDG), LLBG (TLV, Ben gurion).
It is just something to get used to. I will see if can get more info about this.
- 3 letter codes are the IATA codes (commercial)
- 4 letter codes are the ICAO codes. (airport auth)
USA used the IATA codes with K infront
Canada used the IATA codes with C in front.
Sometimes the airport name is used in it (abbreviation) such as LFPG (CDG), LLBG (TLV, Ben gurion).
It is just something to get used to. I will see if can get more info about this.
L+G
Although it may not seem like it there is a pattern whereby the world is divided into areas each assigned a specific area. These areas do not correspond to specific countries,states or FIR's but are decided solely on the requirements of message routing for the AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network) :
E=Northern Europe
L=Southern Europe
K=USA
P=Northern Pacific
F=Southern and Central Africa
There are approximately 20 of these regions
The second letter is assigned to a specific state or territory or part thereof (Some countries have 2 or more designators eg Australia)
B=Belgium
F=France
G= UK
The 3rd and 4th letters refer to a specific airport or communication centre and appear to be random although they are designed to assist in communication routings. Thus you will often find group of similar airfields close to each other geographically as they all use a common comms centre.
EGNT,EGNV,EGNM all in northern england
Of course in the USA they just put a K or P in front of the IATA 3 letter code
There is a publication that you can get which has all of this info plus an Encode and Decode but it costs 110 dollars!!!! and is available through the ICAO website. I am sure there are several websites with this info online but I don't know what they are.
Best Regards
El Nombre
Although it may not seem like it there is a pattern whereby the world is divided into areas each assigned a specific area. These areas do not correspond to specific countries,states or FIR's but are decided solely on the requirements of message routing for the AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network) :
E=Northern Europe
L=Southern Europe
K=USA
P=Northern Pacific
F=Southern and Central Africa
There are approximately 20 of these regions
The second letter is assigned to a specific state or territory or part thereof (Some countries have 2 or more designators eg Australia)
B=Belgium
F=France
G= UK
The 3rd and 4th letters refer to a specific airport or communication centre and appear to be random although they are designed to assist in communication routings. Thus you will often find group of similar airfields close to each other geographically as they all use a common comms centre.
EGNT,EGNV,EGNM all in northern england
Of course in the USA they just put a K or P in front of the IATA 3 letter code
There is a publication that you can get which has all of this info plus an Encode and Decode but it costs 110 dollars!!!! and is available through the ICAO website. I am sure there are several websites with this info online but I don't know what they are.
Best Regards
El Nombre
L+G
Further to my previous post here is a URL that we use at work. It is accurate and updated frequently
http://www.wajb.freeserve.co.uk/codes.h ... rt%20codes
Elnombre
Further to my previous post here is a URL that we use at work. It is accurate and updated frequently
http://www.wajb.freeserve.co.uk/codes.h ... rt%20codes
Elnombre
-
Flying_Dutchman
- Posts: 639
- Joined: 10 Dec 2003, 00:00
- Location: The Netherlands, Les Pays-Bas
Also with airline codes can it be very confusing.
Like here we use for Transavia Airlines HV, but when I was in Heraklion airport, you see they use TRA. Or here we use for Garuda Indonesia GA, but in Jakarta, you see at the information board GIA. I think this is very difficult for non-aviation experts who don't know the codes.
Like here we use for Transavia Airlines HV, but when I was in Heraklion airport, you see they use TRA. Or here we use for Garuda Indonesia GA, but in Jakarta, you see at the information board GIA. I think this is very difficult for non-aviation experts who don't know the codes.
L+G
The difference with codes relates to the fact that IATA (The airline organisation) uses 2 letters and ICAO (Which regulates the infrastructure ie ATC,ATFM,Aerodromes) use 3 letter codes simply because they are much easier to understand, also they will run out of 2 letter codes soon. There was an attempt in the eighties I believe to use 3 letters for everyone but it didn't happen probably due to politics.
It is confusing but once you learn the system it kinda makes sense!!!!
As for the website, it may not be perfect but it ain't bad
Best Regards
El Nombre
The difference with codes relates to the fact that IATA (The airline organisation) uses 2 letters and ICAO (Which regulates the infrastructure ie ATC,ATFM,Aerodromes) use 3 letter codes simply because they are much easier to understand, also they will run out of 2 letter codes soon. There was an attempt in the eighties I believe to use 3 letters for everyone but it didn't happen probably due to politics.
It is confusing but once you learn the system it kinda makes sense!!!!
As for the website, it may not be perfect but it ain't bad
Best Regards
El Nombre