ICAO airport code

Four-letter code designation for aviation facilities around the world

For a list of airports by ICAO code, see Lists of airports § By ICAO code.

Not to be confused with IATA airport code.

Map of the world's ICAO classifications according to the first letter of its ICAO airport code Map of countries classified with ICAO airport code prefixes and subnational regions with their respective second ICAO letter Flag of the ICAO

The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-letter code designating aerodromes around the world. These codes, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization and published quarterly in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators, are used by air traffic control and airline operations such as flight planning. ICAO codes are also used to identify other aviation facilities such as weather stations, international flight service stations or area control centers, regardless of whether they are located at airports. Flight information regions are also identified by a unique ICAO-code.

## History

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The recommendations for ICAO airport codes were adopted on 24 March 1959, and came into force on 1 October the same year.[1]

## ICAO codes versus IATA codes

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ICAO codes are separate and different from IATA codes, the latter of which have three letters and are generally used for airline timetables, reservations, and baggage tags. For example, the IATA code for London's Heathrow Airport is LHR and its ICAO code is EGLL. IATA codes are used by flight-tracking services such as FlightAware.

In general IATA codes are usually derived from the name of the airport or the city it serves, while ICAO codes are distributed by region and country. Far more aerodromes (in the broad sense) have ICAO codes than IATA codes, which are sometimes assigned to railway stations as well. The selection of ICAO codes is partly delegated to authorities in each country, while IATA codes, which have no geographic structure, must be decided centrally by IATA.

## Structure

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The first one or two letters of the ICAO code indicate the country; the remaining letters identify the airport. For example, the ICAO code for Heathrow International Airport in London, is EGLL, with EG reflecting that it is based in the United Kingdom. By contrast, IATA codes do not provide geographic reference. For example, LHR, representing Heathrow, does not enable one to deduce the location of the airport LHV with any greater certainty; it is William T. Piper Memorial Airport in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania in the United States.

There are a few exceptions to the regional structure of the ICAO code for political or administrative reasons:

* RAF Mount Pleasant air base in the Falkland Islands, for instance, is assigned the ICAO code EGYP as though it were in the United Kingdom, but nearby civilian Port Stanley Airport is assigned SFAL, consistent with South America.
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon is controlled by France, and airports there are assigned LFxx as though they were in Europe.
* Kosovo is assigned the code BKxx grouping it with Greenland and Iceland rather than its geographical neighbors which have Lxxx (described below).
* Jerusalem International Airport was assigned both LLJR (its Israeli persona) as well as OJJR (its Jordanian persona), but the airport itself fell into disuse.

Western Sydney Airport, due to open in 2026 has the ICAO code YSWS. In Australia, the second letter is usually linked to the airport's FIR. However, Sydney's FIR has been non-existent since the introduction of TAAATS.

In the contiguous United States and Canada, many airports have ICAO codes that are simply copies of their three-letter IATA codes, with the geographical prefix added on (e.g., YEG and CYEG both refer to Edmonton International Airport, while IAD and KIAD both refer to Washington Dulles International Airport). This similarity does not extend to Alaska (PAxx), Hawaii (PHxx), or U.S. territories. Kahului Airport on Maui, for instance, has an IATA code of OGG and an ICAO code of PHOG.

ICAO airport codes do not begin with I or J or X or Q, though the Jezero Crater on Mars is assigned the special ICAO code JZRO.[2] Codes beginning with I (Ixx and Ixxx) are often used for navigational aids such as radio beacons, while the Q code is reserved for international radiocommunications and non-geographical special use.

In Russia, Latin letter X, or its Morse/Baudot Cyrillic equivalent Ь, are used to designate government, military, and experimental aviation airfields in internal airfield codes similar in structure and purpose to ICAO codes but not used internationally.[3] ZZZZ is a pseudo-code, used in flight plans for aerodromes with no ICAO code assigned.

ICAO codes are sometimes updated. Johannesburg Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, for instance, was formerly known as Jan Smuts International Airport, with code FAJS. When the airport was renamed O. R. Tambo International Airport, its ICAO code was updated to FAOR.

Some airports have two ICAO codes, usually when an airport is shared by civilian and military users. Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt, Germany, for instance, has been assigned ICAO code EDDF while Rhein-Main Air Base was assigned ICAO code EDAF until its closure. Sion Airport in Switzerland has code LSGS while its military facilities have the ICAO code LSMS. Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, has the ICAO code EBBR for its civilian facilities, and Melsbroek Air Base has been assigned ICAO code EBMB, even though the two airports share runways and ground and air control facilities.

## Pseudo ICAO-codes

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In small countries like Belgium or the Netherlands, almost all aerodromes have an ICAO code. For larger countries like the UK or Germany this is not feasible, given the limited number of letter codes. Some countries have addressed this issue by introducing a scheme of sub-ICAO aerodrome codes; France, for example, assigns pseudo ICAO codes in the style LFddnn, where dd indicates the department while nn is a sequential counter. The French Federation of Ultralight Motorized Gliders was formally named the keeper of these codes. Aerodrome de Torreilles in France, for instance, has code LF6651.[4] In Antarctica many aerodromes have pseudo ICAO-codes with AT and two digits, while others have proper codes from countries performing air control such as NZ for New Zealand.

## Prefixes

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Prefix code | Country

|

| A – Western South Pacific
AG | Solomon Islands
AN | Nauru
AY | Papua New Guinea
| B – Greenland, Iceland, and Kosovo (European Alternate)
BG | Greenland
BI | Iceland
BK | Kosovo
| C – Canada
C | Canada
| D – Eastern parts of West Africa and Maghreb
DA | Algeria
DB | Benin
DF | Burkina Faso
DG | Ghana
DI | Côte d'Ivoire
DN | Nigeria
DR | Niger
DT | Tunisia
DX | Togo
| E – Northern Europe
EB | Belgium
ED | Germany (civil)
EE | Estonia
EF | Finland
EG | United Kingdom (and Crown Dependencies)
EH | Netherlands
EI | Ireland
EK | Denmark and the Faroe Islands
EL | Luxembourg
EN | Norway
EP | Poland
ES | Sweden
ET | Germany (military)
EV | Latvia
EY | Lithuania
| F – Most of Central Africa, Southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean
FA | South Africa
FB | Botswana
FC | Republic of the Congo
FD | Eswatini
FE | Central African Republic
FG | Equatorial Guinea
FH | Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
FI | Mauritius
FJ | British Indian Ocean Territory
FK | Cameroon
FL | Zambia
FM | Comoros, France (Mayotte and Réunion), and Madagascar
FN | Angola
FO | Gabon
FP | São Tomé and Príncipe
FQ | Mozambique
FS | Seychelles
FT | Chad
FV | Zimbabwe
FW | Malawi
FX | Lesotho
FY | Namibia
FZ | Democratic Republic of the Congo
| G – Western parts of West Africa and Maghreb
GA | Mali
GB | The Gambia
GC | Spain (Canary Islands)
GE | Spain (Ceuta and Melilla)
GF | Sierra Leone
GG | Guinea-Bissau
GL | Liberia
GM | Morocco
GO | Senegal
GQ | Mauritania
GU | Guinea
GV | Cape Verde
| H – East Africa and Northeast Africa
HA | Ethiopia
HB | Burundi
HC | Somalia
HD | Djibouti
HE | Egypt
HH | Eritrea
HJ | South Sudan
HK | Kenya
HL | Libya
HR | Rwanda
HS | Sudan
HT | Tanzania
HU | Uganda
| J – Mars
J | Mars[dubious - discuss]
| K – Contiguous United States
K | Contiguous United States
| L – Southern Europe, Cyprus, Israel, Palestine and Turkey
LA | Albania
LB | Bulgaria
LC | Cyprus
LD | Croatia
LE | Spain (mainland section and Balearic Islands)
LF | France (Metropolitan France, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon)
LG | Greece
LH | Hungary
LI | Italy (and San Marino)
LJ | Slovenia
LK | Czech Republic
LL | Israel
LM | Malta
LN | Monaco
LO | Austria
LP | Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira)
LQ | Bosnia and Herzegovina
LR | Romania
LS | Switzerland and Liechtenstein
LT | Turkey
LU | Moldova
LV | Palestine/Occupied Palestinian territories
LW | North Macedonia
LX | Gibraltar
LY | Serbia and Montenegro
LZ | Slovakia
| M – Central America, Mexico and northern/western parts of the Caribbean
MB | Turks and Caicos Islands
MD | Dominican Republic
MG | Guatemala
MH | Honduras
MK | Jamaica
MM | Mexico
MN | Nicaragua
MP | Panama
MR | Costa Rica
MS | El Salvador
MT | Haiti
MU | Cuba
MW | Cayman Islands
MY | Bahamas
MZ | Belize
| N – Most of the South Pacific and New Zealand
NC | Cook Islands
NF | Fiji, Tonga
NG | Kiribati (Gilbert Islands), Tuvalu
NI | Niue
NL | France (Wallis and Futuna)
NS | Samoa, United States (American Samoa)
NT | France (French Polynesia)
NV | Vanuatu
NW | France (New Caledonia)
NZ | New Zealand, parts of Antarctica
| O – Southwest Asia, including Gulf States, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan
OA | Afghanistan
OB | Bahrain
OE | Saudi Arabia
OI | Iran
OJ | Jordan and the West Bank
OK | Kuwait
OL | Lebanon
OM | United Arab Emirates
OO | Oman
OP | Pakistan
OR | Iraq
OS | Syria
OT | Qatar
OY | Yemen
| P – most of the North Pacific, and Kiribati
PA | US (Alaska) (also PF, PO and PP)
PB | US (Baker Island)
PC | Kiribati (Canton Airfield, Phoenix Islands)
PF | US (Alaska) (also PA, PO and PP)
PG | US (Guam, Northern Mariana Islands)
PH | US (Hawaii)
PJ | US (Johnston Atoll)
PK | Marshall Islands
PL | Kiribati (Line Islands)
PM | US (Midway Island)
PO | US (Alaska) (also PA, PF and PP)
PP | US (Alaska) (also PA, PF and PO)
PT | Federated States of Micronesia, Palau
PW | US (Wake Island)
| R – Japan, S. Korea, Philippines
RC | Republic of China (Taiwan)
RJ | Japan (Mainland)
RK | South Korea (Republic of Korea)
RO | Japan (Okinawa)
RP | Philippines
| S – South America
SA | Argentina (including parts of Antarctica)
SB | Brazil (also SD, SI, SJ, SN, SS and SW)
SC | Chile (including Easter Island and parts of Antarctica) (also SH)
SD | Brazil (also SB, SI, SJ, SN, SS and SW)
SE | Ecuador
SF | Falkland Islands
SG | Paraguay
SH | Chile (also SC)
SI | Brazil (also SB, SD, SJ, SN, SS and SW)
SJ | Brazil (also SB, SD, SI, SN, SS and SW)
SK | Colombia
SL | Bolivia
SM | Suriname
SN | Brazil (also SB, SD, SI, SJ, SS and SW)
SO | France (French Guiana)
SP | Peru
SS | Brazil (also SB, SD, SI, SJ, SN and SW)
SU | Uruguay
SV | Venezuela
SW | Brazil (also SB, SD, SI, SJ, SN and SS)
SY | Guyana
| T – Eastern and southern parts of the Caribbean
TA | Antigua and Barbuda
TB | Barbados
TD | Dominica
TF | France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)
TG | Grenada
TI | US (U.S. Virgin Islands)
TJ | US (Puerto Rico)
TK | Saint Kitts and Nevis
TL | Saint Lucia
TN | Caribbean Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten
TQ | Anguilla
TR | Montserrat
TT | Trinidad and Tobago
TU | British Virgin Islands
TV | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
TX | Bermuda
| U – Most former Soviet countries
U | Russia (except as below)
UA | Kazakhstan
UB | Azerbaijan
UC | Kyrgyzstan
UD | Armenia
UG | Georgia
UK | Ukraine
UM | Belarus and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast)
UT | Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
| V – Many South Asian countries, mainland Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau
VA | India (West India)
VC | Sri Lanka
VD | Cambodia
VE | India (East India)
VG | Bangladesh
VH | Hong Kong
VI | India (North India)
VL | Laos
VM | Macau
VN | Nepal
VO | India (South India)
VQ | Bhutan
VR | Maldives
VT | Thailand
VV | Vietnam
VY | Myanmar
| W – Most of Maritime Southeast Asia
WA | Indonesia (also WI, WQ and WR)
WB | Brunei, Malaysia (East Malaysia)
WI | Indonesia (also WA, WQ and WR)
WM | Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia)
WP | Timor-Leste
WQ | Indonesia (also WA, WI and WR)
WR | Indonesia (also WA, WI and WQ)
WS | Singapore
| Y – Australia
Y | Australia (including Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Australian Antarctic Territory)
| Z – China, North Korea and Mongolia
Z | Mainland China (except ZK and ZM)
ZK | North Korea
ZM | Mongolia

## See also

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* Airspace class
* Geocode
* IATA airport code
* ICAO airline designators – a list of codes
* International Board for Research into Aircraft Crash Events
* Lists of airports by IATA and ICAO code

## References

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1. ^ "Foreword". Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services (PDF) (16 ed.). Montreal: International Civil Aviation Organization. July 2018. p. x. ISBN 9789292584481. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
2. ^ "NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight". NASA. April 19, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
3. ^ Index of four-character airfield codes in Russia
4. ^ "Accueil". basulm.ffplum.info.

## External links

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* Metropolitan area airport codes travel guide from Wikivoyage – for areas served by several airports
* Airport codes travel guide from Wikivoyage – relating to particular airports* International Civil Aviation Organization (official site)
* ICAO Doc 7910
* ICAO Free World Airport and Runway Map (ICAO official site)
* Airport IATA/ICAO Designator / Code Database Search (from Aviation Codes Central Web Site – Regular Updates)
* "Airport ABCs: An Explanation of Airport Identifier Codes". Air Line Pilot. Air Line Pilots Association. December 1994. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2010-06-25.

* v
* t
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Geocode systems

Administrative codes|

* FIPS country code (FIPS 10-4)
* FIPS place code (FIPS 55)
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* FIPS state code (FIPS 5-2)
* NUTS (EU)
* GSS codes (United Kingdom)
* MARC country codes
* SGC codes (Canada)
* UN M.49 (UN)

Airport codes|

* IATA airport code
* ICAO airport code

Country codes|

* IANA country code
* ISO 3166-1
* alpha-2
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* numeric
* Aircraft prefixes
* IOC country code
* FIFA country code

Geodesic
place codes|

| Global|

* C-squares
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|

Regional|

* ICES Statistical Rectangles (north-east Atlantic region)
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Postal codes|

* Australian post codes
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* ZIP Code (United States)

Telephony|

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Amateur radio|

* Maidenhead Locator System
* Historical : QRA locator

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Lists of airports

By IATA code|

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
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* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

By ICAO code|

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

By continent|

* Africa
* Antarctica
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* North America
* Oceania
* South America

Busiest airports|

* by region
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Other lists|

* Countries without airports
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* Military installations
* With triple takeoff/landing capability

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