IATA-Code

IATA codes are from the International Air Transport Association (IATA ) assigned codes are abbreviated particularly among airports and airfields, airlines and aircraft types.

Importance

The IATA Airport Code (English IATA airport code or IATA station code, sometimes called IATA ( Airport ) Three Letter Code, (AP ) 3LC '') is a combination of three alphabetic characters for the clear identification of airports or airfields. For example, MUC stands for the Munich airport and Conditions for the landing area Augsburg.

Some other major transport hubs, such as train stations or Schiffsfährhäfen, IATA airport codes are also assigned ( ZLP for Zurich Hauptbahnhof).

In cities with multiple airports logical groupings, called Metropolitan Areas are formed with its own airport code. For example, the Metropolitan Area Berlin ( BER ' ) comprises the airports Schoenefeld (, SXF ') and Tegel (, TXL '), formerly the Tempelhof Airport ( THF '). The Metropolitan Area, NYC ' for New York City includes the John F. Kennedy International Airport ( JFK '), Newark ( EEA " ) and LaGuardia ( LGA ');, LON ' represents the airports in the London area. This summary of several airports in a city is used, among other things when booking a flight, although if the city is to be given, but the exact airport is secondary.

In addition to the three-letter codes for airports, there are also markings for aircraft types ( three alphanumeric characters) and airlines ( two alphanumeric characters).

The main aim of IATA is to standardize all handling steps used in the transportation of passengers and cargo into consideration. An example of the application of airport code is the identification of luggage, which is provided at check-in each case with the code of the destination airport.

Construction

Often this code is conventional and readily identifiable (eg FRA = Frankfurt / Main Airport, LH = Lufthansa), even if the keys are derived mainly from the English spelling (eg CGN = Cologne Köln = ). Pulkovo airport near St. Petersburg has the code LED, which goes back to the previous name of Leningrad.

If large airports have a distinctive proper names, this is often as godfather for them (eg London Heathrow LHR =, Charles de Gaulle in Paris CDG = ). This method is mainly used when airports par with otherwise similar, therefore confusable IATA airport codes are possible to each other. For example, the Chicago O'Hare airport has the IATA airport code ORD of its previous name ( Orchard Place Airport ). Other exceptions also exist. For example, all major Canadian airports with a " Y" are referred to in the first place, the German airline German Wings is under " 4U " and some stations start with a Q. To say, for example, the main train station of the city of Saarbrücken " QFZ ".

Even with the aircraft types the assignment is usually quite obvious and usually involves the accurate version of the aircraft type. For example, designated 733, a Boeing 737-300 or 342 an Airbus A340 -200.

In addition to the code system of the IATA also the four-character ICAO airport code has been established. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) also assigns three-letter codes for airports in the United States. This FAA codes are often identical with the IATA code, but differ in many cases.

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