Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile. Military aircraft typically use tail codes and serial numbers.[1] In accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation, all aircraft must be registered with a national aviation authority and they must carry proof of this registration in the form of a legal document called a Certificate of Registration at all times when in operation. Most countries also require the aircraft registration to be imprinted on a permanent fireproof plate mounted on the fuselage for the purposes of post-fire/post-crash aircraft accident investigation.
Although each aircraft registration is unique, some countries allow it to be re-used when the aircraft has been sold, destroyed or retired. For example, N3794N is assigned to a Mooney M20F.[2] It had been previously assigned to a Beechcraft Bonanza (specifically, the aircraft in which Buddy Holly was killed). Also note that an individual aircraft may be assigned different registrations during its existence. This can be because the aircraft changes ownership, jurisdiction of registration, or in some cases for vanity reasons.
International standards
The first use of aircraft registrations was based on the radio callsigns allocated at the London International Radiotelegraphic Conference in 1913. This was modified by agreement by the International Bureau at Berne and published on April 23, 1913. Although initial allocations were not specifically for aircraft but for any radio user, the International Air Navigation Convention held in Paris in 1919 made allocations specifically for aircraft registrations, based on the 1913 callsign list. The agreement stipulated that the nationality marks were to be followed by a hyphen then a group of four letters that must include a vowel (and for the convention Y was considered to be a vowel).
At the International Radiotelegraph Convention at Washington in 1927, the list of markings was revised and adopted from 1928; these allocations are the basis of the currently used registrations. The markings have been amended and added to over the years, and the allocations and standard are managed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Article 20 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), signed in 1944, requires that every aircraft engaged in international air navigation bears its appropriate nationality and registration marks. Upon registration, the aircraft receives its unique "registration", which must be displayed prominently on the aircraft.
Annex 7 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation describes the definitions, location, and measurement of nationality and registration marks. The aircraft registration is made up of a prefix selected from the country's callsign prefix allocated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (making the registration a quick way of determining the country of origin) and the registration suffix. Depending on the country of registration, this suffix is a numeric or alphanumeric code, and consists of one to five digits or characters respectively.
The ICAO provides a supplement to Annex 7 which provides an updated list of approved Nationality and Common Marks used by various countries.
Country-specific usage
When painted on the fuselage, the prefix and suffix are usually separated by a dash (for example, YR-BMA). When entered in a flight plan, the dash is omitted (for example, YRBMA). In some countries that use a number suffix rather than letters, like the United States (N), South Korea (HL), and Japan (JA), the prefix and suffix are connected without a dash. Aircraft flying privately usually use their registration as their radio callsign, but many aircraft flying in commercial operations (especially charter, cargo, and airlines) use the ICAO airline designator or a company callsign. In some instances, it may be sufficient to simply display the suffix letters, with the country prefix omitted. For example, gliders registered in Australia would omit the VH prefix and simply display the suffix. Obviously, this is only suitable where the aircraft does not fly in the airspace of another country.
Even if the suffix usually consists of alphabetical characters in a certain country, gliders and ultralights may sometimes use digits instead. For example, in Germany, D-ABCD will be a powered airplane while D-1234 is a glider. In Australia, early glider registration suffixes began with the letters "G-AU", and it is not uncommon to find such gliders only displaying the last two letters of the suffix, as they lacked the range to travel internationally. For example, VH-GIQ would simply be displayed as IQ.
Different countries have different registration prefixes: Canadian registrations start with C, British with G, German with D, and so forth. A comprehensive list is tabulated below.
United States
In the United States, the registration number is commonly referred to as an "N" number, because all aircraft registered there have a number starting with the letter N. An alphanumeric system is used because of the large numbers of aircraft registered in the United States. An N-number may only consist of one to five characters, must start with a digit other than zero, and cannot end in a run of more than two letters. In addition, N-numbers may not contain the letters I or O, due to their similarities with the numerals 1 and 0.[3]
Each alphabetic character in the suffix can have one of 24 discrete values, while each numeric digit can be one of 10, except the first, which can take on only nine values. This yields a total of 915,399 possible registration numbers in the namespace, though certain combinations are reserved either for government use or for other special purposes.[3] With so many possible calls, radio shortcuts are used. Normally when flying entirely within the United States, an aircraft would not identify itself starting with "N", since that is assumed. Also, after initial contact is made with an aircraft control site, only the last two or three characters are typically used.
The following are the combinations that could be used:
- N1 to N99 — Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) internal use only[3]
- N1A to N9Z
- N1AA to N9ZZ
- N10A to N99Z
- N10AA to N99ZZ
- N100 to N999
- N100A to N999Z
- N100AA to N999ZZ
- N1000 to N9999
- N1000A to N9999Z
- N10000 to N99999
An older aircraft (registered before 31 December 1948) may have a second letter in its identifier, identifying the category of aircraft. This additional letter is not actually part of the aircraft identification (e.g. NC12345 is the same registration as N12345). Aircraft category letters have not been included on any registration numbers issued since 1 January 1949, but they still appear on antique aircraft for authenticity purposes. The categories were:
- C = airline, commercial and private
- G = glider
- L = limited
- R = restricted (such as cropdusters and racing aircraft)[4]
- S = state
- X = experimental
For example, N-X-211, the Ryan NYP aircraft flown by Charles Lindbergh as the Spirit of St. Louis, was registered in the experimental category.
There is a unique overlap in the United States with aircraft having a single number followed by two letters and radio call signs issued by the Federal Communications Commission to Amateur Radio operators holding the Amateur Extra class license. For example, N4YZ is, on the one hand, a Cessna 206 registered to a private individual in California, while N4YZ is also issued to an Amateur Radio operator in North Carolina.
Decolonisation and independence
The impact of decolonisation and independence on aircraft registration schemes has varied from place to place. Most countries, upon independence, have had a new allocation granted, taken from either an existing ITU allocation or the former country's ITU allocation. For example, after partition in 1947, India retained the VT designation used by the British Raj, while Pakistan adopted the AP designation from the newly allocated ITU callsigns APA-ASZ. Hong Kong, which formerly used the VR-H designation, had the "VR" replaced with the Chinese "B" upon the 1997 Handover to China, resulting in aircraft designations with only four letters in total (as opposed to the international norm of five letters).
List of countries/regions and their registration prefixes and patterns
Country / Region | Registration Prefix | Presentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | YA | YA-AAA to YA-ZZZ | |
Albania | ZA | ZA-AAA to ZA-ZZZ | |
Algeria | 7T | 7T-AAA to 7T-ZZZ | |
Andorra | C3 | C3-AAA to C3-ZZZ | |
Angola | D2 | D2-AAA to D2-ZZZ | |
Anguilla | VP-A | VP-AAA to VP-AZZ | |
Antigua and Barbuda | V2 | V2-AAA to V2-ZZZ | |
Argentina | LV LQ |
LV-AAA to LV-ZZZ LQ-AAA to LQ-ZZZ (official use) | |
Armenia | EK | EK-10000 to EK-99999 | |
Aruba | P4 | P4-AAA to P4-ZZZ | |
Australia | VH | VH-AAA to VH-ZZZ | |
Austria | OE | OE-AAA to OE-KZZ OE-BAA to OE-BZZ (official use) OE-LAA to OE-LZZ (airlines operating scheduled flights) OE-VAA to OE-VZZ (test registrations) OE-WAA to OE-WZZ (amphibian and sea planes) OE-XAA to OE-XZZ (helicopters) OE-0001 to OE-5999 (gliders) OE-9000 to OE-9999 (motor gliders) | |
Azerbaijan | 4K | 4K-AZ1 to 4K-AZ999 4K-10000 to 4K-99999 | |
Bahamas | C6 | C6-AAA to C6-ZZZ | |
Bahrain | A9C | A9C-AA to A9C-ZZ | |
Bangladesh | S2 | S2-AAA to S2-ZZZ | |
Barbados | 8P | 8P-AAA to 8P-ZZZ | |
Belarus | EW | EW-10000 to EW-99999 (ex-Soviet Union registrations) EW-100AA to EW-999ZZ (aircraft in general, except those listed below) EW-200PA to EW-299PA (reserved for Boeing 737 aircraft) EW-100PJ to EW-299PJ (reserved for CRJ aircraft) EW-001DA, EW-001PA, EW-001PB, EW-85815 (reserved for official use) EW-0001L to EW-9999L (reserved for balloons) | |
Belgium | OO | OO-AAA to OO-PZZ OO-RAA to OO-ZZZ OO-BAA to OO-BZZ (preferred for Balloons) OO-YAA to OO-ZAA (preferred for gliders) OO-01 to OO-499 (Homebuilt aircraft) OO-501 to OO-999 & OO-A01 to OO-Z99 (Microlights) | |
Belize | V3 | V3-AAA to V3-ZZZ | |
Benin | TY | TY-AAA to TY-ZZZ | |
Bermuda | VP-B, VQ-B | VP-BAA to VP-BZZ, VQ-BAA to VQ-BZZ | |
Bhutan | A5 | A5-AAA to A5-ZZZ | |
Bolivia | CP | CP-1000 to CP-9999 | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | T9 | T9-AAA to T9-ZZZ | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | E7 | E7-AAA to E7-ZZZ | |
Botswana | A2 | A2-AAA to A2-ZZZ | |
Brazil | PP PR PS PT PU |
PP-AAA to PP-ZZZ PR-AAA to PR-ZZZ (PR-ZAA to PR-ZZZ is reserved to experimental non-LSA aircraft) PS-AAA to PS-ZZZ (proposed by ANAC to be available in 2016)[5] PT-AAA to PT-ZZZ (PT-ZAA to PT-ZZZ is reserved to experimental non-LSA aircraft) PU-AAA to PU-ZZZ (Microlights and experimental LSA aircraft) | |
British Virgin Islands | VP-L | VP-LAA to VP-LZZ | |
Brunei | V8 | V8-AAA to V8-ZZZ V8-AA1 to V8-ZZ9 V8-001 to V8-999 | |
Bulgaria | LZ | LZ-AAA to LZ-ZZZ | |
Burkina Faso | XT | XT-AAA to XT-ZZZ | |
Burundi | 9U | 9U-AAA to 9U-ZZZ | |
Cambodia | XU | XU-AAA to XU-ZZZ | |
Cameroon | TJ | TJ-AAA to TJ-ZZZ | |
Canada | C | C-FAAA to C-FZZZ (Vintage aircraft may be registered CF- instead of C-F)[6] C-GAAA to C-GZZZ C-IAAA to C-IZZZ (ultralight aeroplanes only) | |
Cape Verde | D4 | D4-AAA to D4-ZZZ | |
Cayman Islands | VP-C | VP-CAA to VP-CZZ | |
Central African Republic | TL | TL-AAA to TL-ZZZ | |
Chad | TT | TT-AAA to TT-ZZZ | |
Chile | CC | CC-AAA to CC-ZZZ from July 1, 2009 onwards.
Between December 31, 1945, to June 30, 2009, the system was: CC-CAA to CC-CZZ (commercial aircraft) CC-DAA to CC-DZZ (Chile's Aviation directorate planes, including those from the Aviation Museum) CC-EAA to CC-EZZ (government aircraft) CC-NAA to CC-NZZ (aero clubes, northern zone) CC-KAA to CC-KZZ and CC-LAA to CC-LZZ (aero clubes, central zone) CC-SAA to CC-SZZ and CC-TAA to CC-TZZ (aero clubes, southern zone) CC-MAA to CC-MZZ (aero clubes, Patagonian area) CC-PAA to CC-PZZ (private aircraft) Gliders had numbers in between registrations (i.e. CC-K14W) and some balloons too (i.e. CC-P1) Ultralights are registered with the markings ULM-number. | |
Republic of China (Taiwan) | B | B-00001 to B-99999 (Except B-1500 to B-9999) | |
People's Republic of China | B | B-1500 to B-9999 | |
B-00AA to B-99ZZ (General) | |||
Hong Kong | B-H (formerly VR-H) B-K B-L |
B-HAA to B-HZZ B-KAA to B-KZZ B-LAA to B-LZZ | |
Macau, China | B-M (formerly CS- during Portuguese rule before 1999) | B-MAA to B-MZZ | |
Colombia | HJ HK |
HJ-1000A to HJ-9999Z (Microlights) HK-1000A to HK-9999Z | |
Comoros | D6 | D6-AAA to D6-ZZZ | |
Congo, Republic of | TN | TN-AAA to TN-ZZZ | |
Cook Islands | E5 | E5-AAA to E5-ZZZ | |
Congo, Democratic Republic of | 9Q | 9Q-AAA to 9Q-ZZZ | |
Costa Rica | TI | TI-AAA to TI-ZZZ TI-000 to TI-999 (Ultralight aircraft) | |
Côte d'Ivoire | TU | TU-AAA to TU-ZZZ | |
Croatia | 9A | 9A-AAA to 9A-ZZZ 9A-GAA to 9A-GZZ (Gliders) 9A-HAA to 9A-HZZ (Helicopters) 9A-OAA to 9A-OZZ (Ballons) 9A-UAA to 9A-UZZ (Ultralights) | |
Cuba | CU | CU-A1000 to CU-A1999 (Agricultural Aircraft)[7] CU-C1000 to CU-C1999 (Airlines, cargo operations)[8][9] CU-H1000 to CU-H1999 (Helicopters) CU-N1000 to CU-N1999 (Private Aircraft)[10] CU-T1000 to CU-T1999 (Airlines, passenger flights) CU-U1000 to CU-U1999 (Ultralights)[11] | |
Cyprus, Republic of | 5B | 5B-AAA to 5B-ZZZ | |
Czech Republic | OK | OK-AAA to OK-ZZZ OK-AAA 00 to OK-ZZZ 99 (Microlights) OK-0000 to OK-9999 (Gliders & balloons) OK-A000 to OK-A999 (Ultralight gliders)[12] | |
Denmark | OY | OY-AAA to OY-ZZZ OY-HAA to OY-HZZ (Helicopters) Any registration containing X (Gliders including Touring Motor Glider) OY-BAA to OY-BZZ (preferred for hot-air balloons) | |
Djibouti | J2 | J2-AAA to J2-ZZZ | |
Dominica | J7 | J7-AAA to J7-ZZZ | |
Dominican Republic | HI | HI-100AA to HI-999ZZ | |
East Timor | 4W N1 | 4W-AAA to 4W-ZZZ[13] | |
Ecuador | HC | HC-AAA to HC-ZZZ | |
Egypt | SU | SU-AAA to SU-XXZ SU-ZAA to SU-ZZZ SU-001 to SU-999 (Gliders and balloons) | |
El Salvador | YS | YS-AAA to YS-ZZZ | |
Equatorial Guinea | 3C | 3C-AAA to 3C-ZZZ | |
Eritrea | E3 | E3-AAAA to E3-ZZZZ | |
Estonia | ES | ES-AAA to ES-ZZZ | |
Ethiopia | ET | ET-AAA to ET-ZZZ | |
Falkland Islands | VP-F | VP-FAA to VP-FZZ | |
Faroe Islands | (See Denmark) | ||
Fiji Islands | DQ | DQ-AAA to DQ-ZZZ | |
Finland | OH | OH-AAA to OH-ZZZ OH-001 to OH-999 (gliders) OH-G001 to OH-G999 (autogyros) OH-U001 to OH-U999 (ultralights) | |
France | F | F-AAAA to F-ZZZZ F-AYAA to F-AZZZ (Historic aircraft) F-CAAA to F-CZZZ (Gliders) F-OAAA to F-OZZZ (Overseas Territories and aircraft on long-term lease to foreign operators) F-PAAA to F-PZZZ (Homebuilt) F-WAAA to F-WZZZ (Test and Delivery) F-ZAAA to F-ZZZZ (State owned) "department number"-AA to -ZZ & -AAA to -ZZZ (Ultralights)[e.g.: 59-ABC for the Nord département ] | |
French West Indies | F-OG | F-OGAA to F-OGZZ | |
French Guyana | F-O | F-OAAA to F-OZZZ | |
Gabon | TR | TR-AAA to TR-ZZZ | |
Gambia | C5 | C5-AAA to C5-ZZZ | |
Georgia | 4L | 4L-AAA to 4L-ZZZ 4L-10000 to 4L-99999 | |
Germany | D | D-AAAA to D-AZZZ for aircraft with more than 20t MTOW D-AUAA to D-AZZZ (test registrations) for aircraft manufactured by Airbus at Finkenwerder D-BAAA to D-BZZZ for aircraft with 14t-20t MTOW D-CAAA to D-CZZZ for aircraft with 5,7t-14t MTOW D-EAAA to D-EZZZ for single engine aircraft up to 2t MTOW D-FAAA to D-FZZZ for single engine aircraft from to 2t-5,7t MTOW D-GAAA to D-GZZZ for multi-engine aircraft up to 2t MTOW D-IAAA to D-IZZZ for multi-engine aircraft from 2t-5,7t MTOW D-HAAA to D-HZZZ for rotorcraft D-KAAA to D-KZZZ for powered gliders D-LAAA to D-LZZZ for airships D-MAAA to D-MZZZ for powered ultralight aircraft D-NAAA to D-NZZZ for non-powered ultralight aircraft D-OAAA to D-OZZZ for manned free ballons D-0001 to D-9999 for Gliders | |
Ghana | 9G | 9G-AAA to 9G-ZZZ | |
Gibraltar | VP-G | VP-GAA to VP-GZZ | |
Greece | SX | SX-AAA to SX-ZZZ | |
Greenland | (See Denmark) | ||
Grenada | J3 | J3-AAA to J3-ZZZ | |
Guatemala | TG | TG-AAA to TG-ZZZ | |
Guernsey | 2 | 2-AAAA to 2-ZZZZ | |
Guinea | 3X | 3X-AAA to 3X-ZZZ | |
Guinea Bissau | J5 | J5-AAA to J5-ZZZ | |
Guyana | 8R | 8R-AAA to 8R-ZZZ | |
Haiti | HH | HH-AAA to HH-ZZZ | |
Honduras | HR | HR-AAA to HR-ZZZ | |
Hungary | HA | HA-AAA to HA-ZZZ HA-1111 to HA-9999 (Gliders) HA-AAAA to HA-ZZZZ (Ultralights and Motor-Gliders) | |
Iceland | TF | TF-AAA to TF-ZZZ TF-100 to TF-999 (Microlights) | |
India | VT | VT-AAA to VT-ZZZ | |
Indonesia | PK | PK-AAA to PK-ZZZ | |
Iran | EP | EP-AAA to EP-ZZZ | |
Iraq | YI | YI-AAA to YI-ZZZ | |
Ireland | EI | EI-AAA to EI-ZZZ | |
Isle of Man | M | M-AAAA to M-ZZZZ | |
Israel | 4X | 4X-AAA to 4X-ZZZ | |
Italy | I | I-AAAA to I-ZZZZ I-0001 to I-Z999 (Ultralights and Advanced Ultralights) | |
Jamaica | 6Y | 6Y-AAA to 6Y-ZZZ | |
Japan | JA | JA0001 to JA9999 JA001A to JA999Z JA01AA to JA99ZZ JAA001 to JAA999 (Balloons) | |
Jersey | ZJ | ZJ-AAA to ZJ-ZZZ | |
Jordan | JY | JY-AAA to JY-ZZZ | |
Kosovo, Republic of | Z6[14] | Z6-AAA to Z6-ZZZ | |
Kazakhstan | UP | UP-AAA01 to UP-ZZZ99 (Suffix letters refer to aircraft type) | |
Kenya | 5Y | 5Y-AAA to 5Y-ZZZ | |
Kiribati | T3 | T3-AAA to T3-ZZZ | |
Korea, People's Democratic Rep. | P | P-500 to P-999 | |
Korea, Republic of | HL[15] | HLC000 to HLC999 for ultralight HL0000 to HL0599 for glider HL0600 to HL0799 for airship HL1000 to HL1799 for piston engine HL2000 to HL2099 for piston engine HL5100 to HL5499 for turbo prop HL6100 to HL6199 for piston engine helicopter HL7100 to HL7199 for single turbojet HL7200 to HL7299, HL7500 to HL7599, HL7700 to HL7799, HL7800 to 7899, HL8000 to 8099, HL8200 to HL8299 for twin-jet aircraft HL7300 to HL7399 for tri-jet aircraft HL7400 to HL7499, HL7600 to HL7699, HL8400 to HL8499, HL8600 to HL8699 for quad-jet aircraft HL9100 to HL9699 for turboshaft helicopter | |
Kuwait | 9K | 9K-AAA to 9K-ZZZ | |
Kyrgyzstan | EX | EX-100 to EX-999 EX-10000 to EX-99999 | |
Laos | RDPL | RDPL-10000 to RDPL-99999 | |
Latvia | YL | YL-AAA to YL-ZZZ | |
Lebanon | OD | OD-AAA to OD-ZZZ | |
Lesotho | 7P | 7P-AAA to 7P-ZZZ | |
Liberia | A8 | A8-AAA to A8-ZZZ | |
Libya | 5A | 5A-AAA to 5A-ZZZ | |
Liechtenstein | HB | HB-AAA to HB-ZZZ (shares allocation with Switzerland) | |
Lithuania | LY | LY-AAA to LY-ZZZ | |
Luxembourg | LXN3 | LX-AAA to LX-ZZZ LX-BAA to LX-BZZ (Balloons) LX-CAA to LX-CZZ (Glider & Motorglider) LX-HAA to LX-HZZ (Helicopters) LX-N90442 to LX-N90459 (NATO AWACS)N4 LX-XAA to LX-XZZ (Ultralights) | |
Macedonia, Republic of | Z3 | Z3-AAA to Z3-ZZZ Z3-HAA to Z3-HZZ (Helicopters) Z3-UA-001 to Z3-UA-999 (Ultralight) Z3-OAA to Z3-OZZ (Hot air balloons) | |
Madagascar | 5R | 5R-AAA to 5R-ZZZ | |
Malawi | 7Q | 7Q-AAA to 7Q-ZZZ | |
Malaysia | 9M | 9M-AAA to 9M-ZZZ 9M-EAA to 9M-EZZ (Amateur-built) 9M-UAA to 9M-UZZ (Microlight) | |
Maldives | 8Q | 8Q-AAA to 8Q-ZZZ | |
Mali | TZ | TZ-AAA to TZ-ZZZ | |
Malta | 9H | 9H-AAA to 9H-ZZZ | |
Isle of Man[16] | M | M-AAAA to M-ZZZZ | |
Marshall Islands | V7 | V7-0001 to V7-9999 | |
Mauritania | 5T | 5T-AAA to 5T-ZZZ | |
Mauritius | 3B | 3B-AAA to 3B-ZZZ | |
Mexico | XA XB XC |
XA-AAA to XA-ZZZ (Commercial) XB-AAA to XB-ZZZ (Private) XC-AAA to XC-ZZZ (Government)[17] | |
Micronesia, Federated States of | V6 | V6-AAA to V6-ZZZ | |
Moldova | ER | ER-AAA to ER-ZZZ ER-10000 to ER-99999 | |
Monaco | 3A | 3A-AAA to 3A-ZZZ 3A-HAA to 3A-HZZ (Helicopters) | |
Mongolia | JU | JU-1000 to JU-9999 | |
Montenegro | 4O | 4O-AAA to 4O-ZZZ | |
Montserrat | VP-M | VP-MAA to VP-MZZ | |
Morocco | CN | CN-AAA to CN-ZZZ | |
Mozambique | C9 | C9-AAA to C9-ZZZ | |
Myanmar | XY XZ |
XY-AAA to XY-ZZZ XZ-AAA to XZ-ZZZ (Not Used) | |
Namibia | V5 | V5-AAA to V5-ZZZ | |
Nauru | C2 | C2-AAA to C2-ZZZ | |
Nepal | 9N | 9N-AAA to 9N-ZZZ (Commercial aircraft)
9N-RAA to 9N-RZZ (Government aircraft) |
|
Netherlands | PH | PH-AAA to PH-ZZZ PH-1AA to PH-1ZZ (Drones) PH-1A1 to PH-9Z9 (Microlights) PH-100 to PH-9999 (Gliders) | |
Netherlands Antilles | PJ | PJ-AAA to PJ-ZZZ | |
New Zealand | ZK | ZK-A**, ZK-B**, ZK-GA*, ZK-HA* reserved for historical aircraft including helicopters and gliders since 1987 ZK-FA*, ZK-FB* balloons ZK-G** gliders ZK-H**, ZK-I** helicopters ZK-RA*, ZK-RB*, ZK-RC*, ZK-RD* gyrocopters ZK-Q** marks are prohibited by ICAO Remainder for fixed-wing aircraft[18] | |
Nicaragua | YN | YN-AAA to YN-ZZZ | |
Niger | 5U | 5U-AAA to 5U-ZZZ | |
Nigeria | 5N | 5N-AAA to 5N-ZZZ | |
Norway | LN | LN-AAA to LN-ZZZ Aircraft in general, except: LN-G**, Gliders LN-O**, Helicopters LN-C**, Balloons LN-Y**, Ultralight Aircraft | |
Oman | A4O | A4O-AA to A4O-ZZ | |
Pakistan | AP, AR | AP-AAA to AP-ZZZ, civil aircraft AR-***, certain military aircraft | |
Palestine | SU-Y E4 |
SU-YAA to SU-YZZ N1 | |
Panama | HP | HP-1000AA to HP-9999ZZ | |
Papua New Guinea | P2 | P2-AAA to P2-ZZZ | |
Paraguay | ZP | ZP-AAA to ZP-ZZZ | |
Peru | OB | OB-1000 to OB-9999 | |
Philippines | RP | RP-C0001 to RP-C9999 (Aircraft with complete registrations) RP-G0001 to RP-G9999 (Gliders) RP-R0001 to RP-R9999 (Limited registrations) RP-X0001 to RP-X9999 (Experimental certificate) RP-S0001 to RP-S9999 (Non-type certificated aircraft) | |
Poland | SP,SN | SP-AAA to SP-ZZZ SP-0*** - Motor-gliders SP-1*** to SP-3***, SP-8*** - Gliders SP-B** - Balloons SP-L** reserved for LOT Polish Airlines SP-S*** - Ultralights SP-X*** - Autogyros SP-Y** - Experimental SN-**XP or SP-VP* - Police SN-**YG or SP-VS* - Border guard | |
Portugal | CR,CS | CR-AAA to CR-ZZZ CS-AAA to CS-ZZZ Aircraft in general, except: CS-T**, Airliners CS-H**, Helicopters CS-X**, Experimental CS-U**, Ultralight Aircraft CS-P**, Gliders CS-B**, Ballons | |
Qatar | A7 | A7-AAA to A7-ZZZ A7-HAA to A7-HZZ & A7-MAA to A7-MZZ (official use) | |
Réunion Island | F-OD | F-ODAA to F-ODZZ | |
Romania | YR | YR-AAA to YR-ZZZ YR-1000 to YR-9999 (Gliders and ultralights) | |
Russian Federation | RA, RF | RA-00001 to RA-99999 FLA RF-00001 to FLA RF-99999 or ФЛА РФ-00001 to ФЛА РФ-99999 (private - no longer valid) RA-0001K to RA-9999K (private - no longer valid) RA-0001G to RA-9999G (private - current series) RA-0001A to RA-9999A (private - new series?) RF-00001 to RF-99999 (state-owned aircraft; first two digits indicate owner) | |
Rwanda | 9XR | 9XR-AA to 9XR-ZZ | |
Saint Helena/Ascension | VQ-H | VQ-HAA to VQ-HZZ | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | V4 | V4-AAA to V4-ZZZ | |
Saint Lucia | J6 | J6-AAA to J6-ZZZ | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | J8 | J8-AAA to J8-ZZZ | |
Samoa | 5W | 5W-AAA to 5W-ZZZ | |
San Marino | T7 | T7-AAA to T7-ZZZ T7-001 to T7-999 (Microlights) | |
São Tomé and Príncipe | S9 | S9-AAA to S9-ZZZ | |
Saudi Arabia | HZ | HZ-AAA to HZ-ZZZ HZ-AA1 to HZ-ZZ99 HZ-AAA1 to HZ-ZZZ99 HZ-AAAA to HZ-ZZZZ | |
Senegal | 6V | 6V-AAA to 6V-ZZZ | |
Serbia | YU | YU-AAA to YU-ZZZ YU-0000 to YU-9999 (Gliders) YU-A000 to YU-Z999 (Ultralight) | |
Seychelles | S7 | S7-AAA to S7-ZZZ | |
Sierra Leone | 9L | 9L-AAA to 9L-ZZZ | |
Singapore | 9V | 9V-AAA to 9V-ZZZ | |
Slovakia | OM | OM-AAA to OM-ZZZ OM-AAAA to OM-ZZZZ (Ultralight) OM-M000 to OM-M999 (Microlights) OM-0000 to OM-9999 (Gliders) | |
Slovenia | S5 | S5-AAA to S5-9999 S5-DAA to S5-DZZ (General) S5-HAA to S5-HZZ (Helicopters) S5-PAA to S5-PZZ (Ultralights) S5-MAA to S5-MZZ (Amateur builds) S5-JAA to S5-JZZ (Gyrocopters) S5-1000 to S5-1999 (Old timer gliders) S5-3000 to S5-3999 (Singleseater gliders) S5-7000 to S5-7999 (Doubleseater gliders) S5-KAA to S5-KZZ (Motorgliders/sustainers) S5-OAA to S5-OZZ (Hot air balloons) | |
Solomon Islands | H4 | H4-AAA to H4-ZZZ | |
Somalia | 6O | 6O-AAA to 6O-ZZZ | |
South Africa | ZS ZT ZU |
ZS-AAA to ZS-ZZZ (type certified aircraft) ZT-AAA to ZT-ZZZ (not used) ZU-AAA to ZU-ZZZ (non-type certified aircraft) | |
South Sudan | Z8 | Z8-AAA to Z8-ZZZ | |
Spain | EC | EC-AAA to EC-WZZ EC-YAA to EC-ZZZ (Homebuilt aircraft) EC-AA0 to EC-ZZ9 (Ultralight) EC-001 to EC-999 (Test and delivery) | |
Sri Lanka | 4R | 4R-AAA to 4R-ZZZ | |
Sudan | ST | ST-AAA to ST-ZZZ | |
Surinam | PZ | PZ-AAA to PZ-ZZZ | |
Swaziland | 3D | 3D-AAA to 3D-ZZZ | |
Sweden | SE | SE-AAA to SE-ZZZ SE-AAA to SE-CZZ (prop aircraft, general use) SE-DAA to SE-DZZ (jets) SE-EAA to SE-GZZ (prop aircraft, general use) SE-HAA to SE-HZZ (helicopters) SE-IAA to SE-IZZ (prop aircraft, general use) SE-JAA to SE-JZZ (helicopters) SE-KAA to SE-LZZ (prop aircraft, general use) SE-RAA to SE-RZZ (jets) SE-SAA to SE-UZZ (sailplanes and gliders) SE-VAA to SE-VZZ (ultralights) SE-XAA to SE-XZZ (homebuilts) SE-ZAA to SE-ZZZ (lighter than air) SE-A01 to SE-Z99 (test and delivery) | |
Switzerland | HB | General pattern: HB-AAA to HB-ZZZ, with HB-1 to HB-9999 for Gliders and Motorgliders. The registration often denotes the aircraft type and maker. Some examples: HB-Axx two-engined aircraft from 5.7 to 15 tons HB-Bxx balloons HB-Cxx single-engined Cessnas under 5.7 tons HB-Dxx other single-engined aircraft under 5.7 tons HB-Fxx Swiss-produced aircraft like PC-6 and PC-12 HB-Ixx aircraft over 15 tons, including DC-3 HB-Nxx single-engined Pipers under 5.7 tons if HB-P is exhausted HB-Vxx business jets under 15 tons HB-Xxx helicopters HB-Yxx experimental aircraft | |
Syria | YK | YK-AAA to YK-ZZZ | |
Tahiti | F-OH | F-OHAA to F-OHZZ | |
Tajikistan | EY | EY-10000 to EY-99999 | |
Tanzania | 5H | 5H-AAA to 5H-ZZZ | |
Thailand | HS | HS-AAA to HS-ZZZ | |
Togo | 5V | 5V-AAA to 5V-ZZZ | |
Tonga | A3 | A3-AAA to A3-ZZZ | |
Trinidad and Tobago | 9Y | 9Y-AAA to 9Y-ZZZ | |
Tunisia | TS | TS-AAA to TS-ZZZ | |
Turkey | TC | TC-AAA to TC-ZZZ TC-BAA to TC-BZZ (Hot air balloons) TC-HAA to TC-HZZ (Helicopters) TC-PAA to TC-PZZ (Gliders) TC-UAA to TC-UZZ (Ultralights and Microlights) TC-ZAA to TC-ZZZ (Agricultural aircraft) | |
Turkmenistan | EZ | EZ-A100 to EZ-Z999 | |
Turks and Caicos | VQ-T | VQ-TAA to VQ-TZZ | |
Tuvalu | T2 | T2-AAA to T2-ZZZ | |
Uganda | 5X | 5X-AAA to 5X-ZZZ | |
Ukraine | UR | UR-AAA to UR-ZZZ UR-10000 to UR-99999 UR-AAAA to UR-ZZZZ (private aircraft) | |
United Arab Emirates | A6 | A6-AAA to A6-ZZZ | |
United Kingdom | G | G-AAAA to G-ZZZZ G-1-1 to G-99-99 (Test and delivery) | |
United NationsN2 | 4U | 4U-AAA to 4U-ZZZ | |
United States of America | N | N1 to N99999 N1A to N9999Z N1AA to N999ZZ | |
Uruguay | CX | CX-AAA to CX-ZZZ | |
Uzbekistan | UK | UK-10000 to UK-99999 | |
Vanuatu | YJ | YJ-AA1 to YJ-ZZ99 | |
Venezuela | YV | YV1000 to YV9999 YV100T to YV999T YV100E to YV999E (training) YVO100 to YVO999 (Official use) | |
Vietnam | VN | VN-1000 to VN-9999 VN-A100 to VN-A999 (turbo jet engine) VN-B100 to VN-B999 (turbo prop engine) VN-C100-C999 (internal combustion engine) | |
Yemen | 7O | 7O-AAA to 7O-ZZZ | |
Zambia | 9J | 9J-AAA to 9J-ZZZ | |
Zimbabwe | Z | Z-AAA to Z-ZZZ |
Notes
- ^ Has not been used on any aircraft previously.
- ^ Besides the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the European Union and NATO do not have the power to create aircraft registrations.
- ^ NATO has registered its aircraft with Luxembourg.
Pre-1928 allocations
Note: in the suffix pattern, n represents a number, x represents a letter
Country / Region | Registration prefix | Suffix pattern | 1913 radio call letters |
---|---|---|---|
Abyssinia | A-B[Note 11] | A-Bxxx | |
Afghanistan | Y-A[Note 13] | Y-Axxx | |
Albania | B-A[Note 6] | B-Axxx | |
Argentina | R-A[Note 9] | R-Axxx | LIA to LRZ |
Australia | G-AU[19] | G-AUxx | VHA to VKZ |
Austria-Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina | HAA to HFZ, OGA to OMZ and UNA to UZZ | ||
Belgium | O-B[Note 1] | O-Bxxx | ONA to OTZ |
Bolivia | C-B[Note 1] | C-Bxxx | none |
Brazil | P-B[Note 1] | P-Bxxx | SNA to STZ |
Canada | G-C[19] | G-Cxxx, except G-CYxx | VAA to VGZ (Newfoundland: VOA to VOZ) |
G-CY (military aircraft)[19] | G-CYxx | ||
Bulgaria | B-B[Note 6] | B-Bxxx | LXA to LZZ |
Chile | B-C[Note 10] | B-Cxxx | COA to CPZ |
China | X-C[Note 1] | X-Cxxx | none |
Colombia | C- | C-n to C-nnn | none |
Costa Rica | K-C[Note 6] | K-Cxxx | |
Cuba | C-C[Note 1] | C-Cxxx | none |
Czechoslovakia | L-B[Note 1] | L-Bxxx | |
Danzig | |||
Y-M[Note 11] | Y-Mxxx | Not applicable | |
Dz- | Dz-nnn | ||
Denmark | T-D[Note 4] | T-Dxxx | OUA to OZZ |
Dominica | Z-D[Note 13] | Z-Dxxx | |
Ecuador | E-E[Note 1][Note 5] | E-Exxx | |
Egypt | SUA to SUZ | ||
El Salvador | Y-S[Note 12] | Y-Sxxx | |
Estonia | E-A[Note 8] | E-Axxx | |
Finland | K-S[Note 8] | K-Sxxx | |
France | F-[Note 1] | F-xxxx | F and UAA to UMZ |
Germany | D- | D-nnnn | A, D and KAA to KCZ |
Greece | S-G[Note 1] | S-Gxxx | SVA to SZZ |
Guatemala | L-G[Note 1] | L-Gxxx | |
Haiti | H-H[Note 1][Note 5] | H-Hxxx | |
Hedjaz | A-H[Note 1] | A-Hxxx | |
Honduras | X-H[Note 1] | X-Hxxx | |
Hungary | |||
H-H[Note 4] | H-Hxxx | ||
H-O[Note 7] | H-Oxxx | ||
India | G-I[19] | G-Ixxx | VTA to VWZ |
Italy | I-[Note 1] | I-xxxx | I |
Japan | J-[Note 1] | J-xxxx | J |
Latvia | B-L[Note 3] | B-Lxxx | |
Liberia | L-L[Note 1] | L-Lxxx | |
Lithuania | Z-L[Note 8] | Z-Lxxx | |
Luxembourg | L-U[Note 3] | L-Uxxx | |
Mexico | XAA to XCZ | ||
Monaco | M-M[Note 4] | M-Mxxx | CQA to CQZ |
M-O[Note 7] | M-Oxxx | ||
Morocco | CNA to CNZ | ||
Netherlands | H-N[Note 2] | H-Nxxx | PAA to PMZ |
New Zealand | G-NZ[19] | G-NZxx | VLA to VMZ |
Nicaragua | A-N[Note 1] | A-Nxxx | |
Norway | LAA to LHZ | ||
Panama | S-P[Note 1] | S-Pxxx | |
Persia | P-I[Note 11] | P-Ixxx | |
Peru | O-P[Note 1] | O-Pxxx | |
Poland | P-P[Note 1] | P-Pxxx | |
Portugal | C-P[Note 1] | C-Pxxx | CRA to CTZ |
Romania | C-R[Note 1] | C-Rxxx | CVA to CVZ |
Russia | R-R | R-Rxxx, RR-xxx | R |
Serbia-Croatia-Slovenia | X-S[Note 1] | X-Sxxx | |
Siam | H-S[Note 1] | H-Sxxx | HGA to HHZ |
South Africa | G-UA[19] | G-UAxx | VNA to VNZ |
Spain | M-[Note 2] | M-xxxx | EAA to EGZ |
Sweden | S-A[Note 6] | S-Axxx | SAA to SMZ |
Switzerland | C-H[Note 2] | C-Hnnn | |
United Kingdom | K[20] | K-nnn | B, G and M (British colonies not autonomous: VPA to VSZ) |
G-E | G-EAxx, G-EBxx, G-EDCA | ||
G-F (lighter than air craft) | G-FAAx | ||
G-G (gliders) | G-GAAx | ||
United States of America | N[Note 1] | N-xxxx | KDA to KZZ, N and W |
Uruguay | C-U[Note 1][Note 5] | C-Uxxx | CWA to CWZ |
- Notes
- ^ Adopted at the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN) meeting of 13 October 1919.[21]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 13 July 1922.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 25 October 1922.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 28 February 1923.[22]
- ^ The ICAN meeting of 28 February 1923 amended Ecuador's marks to E-U, Haiti's to H-E, and Uruguay's marks to C-M. They were restored to their original marks at the following meeting on 26 June.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 26 June 1923.[22]
- ^ Amended at the ICAN meeting of 26 June 1923.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 3 March 1924.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 14 October 1924.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 6 April 1925.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 6 October 1925.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 3 November 1926.[22]
- ^ Adopted at the ICAN meeting of 25 April 1927.[22]
See also
- List of aircraft registration prefixes
- Belgian aircraft registration and serials
- List of aircraft by tail number
- ITU prefix
- United Kingdom aircraft registration
- United Kingdom military aircraft serials
- United States military aircraft serials
- United States military tail code
References
- ↑ "US Air Force Tail Codes". Aerospaceweb.org. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ↑ "N3794N". Registry.faa.gov. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- 1 2 3 "FAA registration numbering scheme". Faa.gov. 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ↑ Sean Elliott (March 2015). "What does restricted category have to do with experimental". Sport Aviation: 11.
- ↑ "Regulamento Brasileiro da Aviação Civil" (PDF). National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (in Portuguese). 22 March 2012.
- ↑ "Chapter 4 - Aircraft Identification". Transport Canada. 2010-05-20. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
- ↑ "Photos: Antonov An-2 Aircraft Pictures". Airliners.net. 2011-06-25. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
- ↑ "Photos: Tupolev Tu-204CE Aircraft Pictures". Airliners.net. 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ↑ "Photos: Mil Mi-8P Aircraft Pictures". Airliners.net. 2001-03-03. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ↑ "Photos: Cessna 337 Super Skymaster Aircraft Pictures". Airliners.net. 2001-02-24. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ↑ "Photos: Polarismotor FIB 582 Aircraft Pictures". Airliners.net. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- ↑ Decree No. 155/2005 Coll. of the Ministry of Informatics of the Czech Republic, § 9 (3)h)
- ↑ Aeronautical Information Publication of East Timor, see GEN 2 1-1, § 4.1
- ↑ Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of Kosovo Regulation no 11/2011 amending and supplementing Regulation no 2/2009 on aircraft registration and marking
- ↑ Civil Aircraft Safety Authority (in Korean)
- ↑ ITU code 'M' is registered to the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man is not a sovereign entity in international law.
- ↑ "Online Mexican Civil Aircraft Register? Civil Aviation Forum - Airliners.net". airliners.net. Retrieved 9 September 2015. C1 control character in
|title=
at position 41 (help) - ↑ "Allocation of Aircraft Registration Marks". Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appleton, John; Cave, Ian G. British Civil Aircraft Registers 1919-1978. Earl Shilton: Midland Counties Publications. p. 7. ISBN 0-904597-15-6.
- ↑ Used 1919-20, K-100 to K-175 allocated, reallocated to G-EAxx series in 1920. Appleton, John; Cave, Ian G. British Civil Aircraft Registers 1919-1978. Earl Shilton: Midland Counties Publications. p. 3. ISBN 0-904597-15-6.
- ↑ "1919 Country Prefixes". Golden Years of Aviation. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Additions to Registration marks 1919-1927". Golden Years of Aviation. Retrieved 11 February 2011.