Article: Beginner’s Guide to Airport & Airline Codes

[AFF Editor]

Beginner’s Guide to Airport & Airline Codes is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

Beginner's Guide to Airport & Airline Codes

All airlines and airports have IATA and ICAO codes. These are the most important codes, why they exist and where they originated.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[Hampton Mike]

While some airport codes have changed I think it’s interesting that Beijing is still PEK (Peking) and Mumbai is still BOM (Bombay). I’m sure there’d be quite a few more that still kept their original codes too.

 

[Hvr]

The things you learn: "Founded in Havana in 1945,..."

I bet there's a fascinating story about how/why IATA originated in Havana.

Following on from @Hampton Mike I can think of two airports that have changed location and kept their original city codes, specifically HKG and BKK, with the original BKK airport at Don Mueang (Asia's oldest airport) now having the IATA code DMK and ICAO code VTBD.

Whereas the old HKG AP (aka Kai Tak) is now used for housing.

 

[AIRwin]

Following on from @Hampton Mike I can think of two airports that have changed location and kept their original city codes, specifically HKG and BKK, with the original BKK airport at Don Mueang (Asia's oldest airport) now having the IATA code DMK and ICAO code VTBD.

Same for SIN/QPG, KUL/SZB, DOH/DIA...

 

[dylarr]

While some airport codes have changed I think it’s interesting that Beijing is still PEK (Peking) and Mumbai is still BOM (Bombay). I’m sure there’d be quite a few more that still kept their original codes too.

Ho Chi Minh City / SGN (Saigon) is another one that comes to mind.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks for explaining why Canadian airports have rather odd codes.

Following on from @Hampton Mike I can think of two airports that have changed location and kept their original city codes, specifically HKG and BKK, with the original BKK airport at Don Mueang (Asia's oldest airport) now having the IATA code DMK and ICAO code VTBD.

Add IST to that. Used to be for Istanbul Atatürk Airport, now for the relative-newie at Arnavutköy . I was surprised to see just now that Ataturk had closed completely.

 

[AIRwin]

While some airport codes have changed I think it’s interesting that Beijing is still PEK (Peking) and Mumbai is still BOM (Bombay). I’m sure there’d be quite a few more that still kept their original codes too.

Chengdu = CTU (Chengtu)
Chennai = MAA (Madras)
Chongqing = CKG (Chungking)
Guangzhou = CAN (Canton)
Guilin = KWL (Kweilin)
Kochi = cough (Cochin)
Kolkata = CCU (Calcutta)
Nanjing = NKG (Nanking)
Qingdao = TAO (Tsingtao)
St Petersburg = LED (Leningrad)
Tianjin = TSN (Tientsin)
Yangon = RGN (Rangoon)

 

[dajop]

Some more:
Zhengzhou = CGO (Chengchow)
Podgorica = TGD (Titograd)

 

[dajop]

Same for SIN/QPG, KUL/SZB, DOH/DIA...

Closer to home did MEB used to have the MEL code originally?

 

[antycbr]

Watching sunrise (I know) this morning can they please use BNE instead of BRS and HBA instead of HOB! No wonder people post the wrong codes…

 

[outthere1000]

The things you learn: "Founded in Havana in 1945,..."

I bet there's a fascinating story about how/why IATA originated in Havana.

Following on from @Hampton Mike I can think of two airports that have changed location and kept their original city codes, specifically HKG and BKK, with the original BKK airport at Don Mueang (Asia's oldest airport) now having the IATA code DMK and ICAO code VTBD.

Whereas the old HKG AP (aka Kai Tak) is now used for housing.

A bit more trivia: Kai Tak is not the name of the airport's location, but the name of the contruction company that built the airport. They had a sign at the site and somehow the name just stuck.