IATA airport code

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An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], 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.

Example of IATA airport code printed on a baggage tag

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.

IATA also provides codes for railway stations and for airport handling entities. A list of airports sorted by IATA code is available. A list of railway stations codeshared in agreements between airlines and rail lines such as Amtrak, SNCF French Rail, Deutsche Bahn, Thalys International, and Swiss Rail is available. There is also a separate List of Amtrak station codes, three-character codes used by Amtrak for its railway stations in the United States and Canada.