TheICAOairport code orlocation indicator is a four-lettercode designatingaerodromes around the world. These codes, as defined by theInternational Civil Aviation Organization and published quarterly in ICAO Document 7910:Location Indicators, are used byair traffic control and airline operations such asflight planning.ICAO codes are also used to identify other aviation facilities such asweather stations, internationalflight service stations, orarea control centers (and by extension theirflight information regions), regardless of whether they are located at airports.
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 are separate and different from the three-letterIATA codes, which are generally used forairline timetables, reservations, andbaggage tags. For example, the IATA code forLondon'sHeathrow Airport is LHR and its ICAO code is EGLL.
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 moreaerodromes (in the broad sense) have ICAO codes than IATA codes, which are sometimes assigned torailway 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.
The first one or two letters of the ICAO code indicate the country or large region of a country; the remaining letters identify the airport. For example, the ICAO code forHeathrow International Airport in London, is EGLL, with EG reflecting that it is based in theUnited 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 isWilliam T. Piper Memorial Airport inLock Haven, Pennsylvania in theUnited States.
There are a few exceptions to the regional structure of the ICAO code for political or administrative reasons:
Western Sydney Airport, due to open in 2026 has the ICAO code YSWS. In Australia, the second letter is usually linked to the airport'sFIR. However, Sydney's FIR has been non-existent since the introduction ofTAAATS.
In the contiguous United States and Canada, many airports have ICAO codes that are simply copies of their three-letterIATA codes, with the geographical prefix added on (e.g., YEG and CYEG both refer toEdmonton International Airport, while IAD and KIAD both refer toWashington Dulles International Airport). This similarity does not extend toAlaska (PAxx),Hawaii (PHxx), or U.S. territories.Kahului Airport onMaui, for instance, has an IATA code of OGG and an ICAO code of PHOG.
ICAO airport codes do not begin with I, J, X, or Q, though theJezero Crater onMars is assigned the special ICAO code JZRO, and some have used this to deduce that J must be the code for Mars, even though it has never been officially reserved by ICAO.[2] Codes beginning with I (Ixx and Ixxx) are often used fornavigational aids such as radio beacons, while theQ code is reserved for international radiocommunications and non-geographical special use.
InRussia, the Latin letter X, or itsMorse/Baudot Cyrillic equivalentЬ, 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 inflight plans for aerodromes with no ICAO code assigned.
ICAO codes are sometimes updated.Johannesburg Airport inJohannesburg, 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 inFrankfurt, Germany, for instance, has been assigned ICAO code EDDF whileRhein-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 inBrussels, Belgium, has the ICAO code EBBR for its civilian facilities, andMelsbroek Air Base has been assigned ICAO code EBMB, even though the two airports share runways and ground and air control facilities.
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 styleLFddnn, wheredd indicates thedepartment whilenn 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] InAntarctica many aerodromes have pseudo ICAO-codes with AT and two digits, while others have proper codes from countries performing air control such as NZ forNew Zealand.
| Prefix code | Country | Derivation of second letter |
|---|---|---|
| A – Western South Pacific | ||
| AG | Solomon Islands | Guadalcanal |
| AN | Nauru | Nauru |
| AY | Papua New Guinea | |
| B – Greenland, Iceland, and Kosovo (European Alternate) | ||
| BG | Greenland | Greenland |
| BI | Iceland | Iceland |
| BK | Kosovo | Kosovo |
| C – Canada | ||
| C | Canada | |
| D – Eastern parts of West Africa and Maghreb | ||
| DA | Algeria | Algeria |
| DB | Benin | Benin |
| DF | Burkina Faso | BurkinaFaso |
| DG | Ghana | Ghana |
| DI | Côte d'Ivoire | Cote d'Ivoire |
| DN | Nigeria | Nigeria |
| DR | Niger | Niger |
| DT | Tunisia | Tunisia |
| DX | Togo | |
| E – Northern Europe | ||
| EB | Belgium | Belgium |
| ED | Germany (civil) | Deutschland |
| EE | Estonia | Estonia |
| EF | Finland | Finland |
| EG | United Kingdom (andCrown Dependencies) | Great Britain |
| EH | Netherlands | Holland |
| EI | Ireland | Ireland |
| EK | Denmark and theFaroe Islands | København |
| EL | Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
| EN | Norway | Norway |
| EP | Poland | Poland |
| ES | Sweden | Sweden |
| ET | Germany (military) | |
| EV | Latvia | Latvia |
| EY | Lithuania | |
| F – Most of Central Africa, Southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean | ||
| FA | South Africa | SouthAfrica |
| FB | Botswana | Botswana |
| FC | Republic of the Congo | Congo |
| FD | Eswatini | |
| FE | Central African Republic | |
| FG | Equatorial Guinea | EquatorialGuinea |
| FH | Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | SaintHelena |
| FI | Mauritius | Mauritius |
| FJ | British Indian Ocean Territory | |
| FK | Cameroon | |
| FL | Zambia | Lusaka |
| FM | Comoros, France (Mayotte andRéunion), andMadagascar | Madagascar |
| FN | Angola | Angola |
| FO | Gabon | Gabon |
| FP | São Tomé and Príncipe | Principe |
| FQ | Mozambique | Mozambique |
| FS | Seychelles | Seychelles |
| FT | Chad | Tchad |
| FV | Zimbabwe | |
| FW | Malawi | Malawi |
| FX | Lesotho | |
| FY | Namibia | |
| FZ | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Zaire |
| G – Western parts of West Africa and Maghreb | ||
| GA | Mali | Mali |
| GB | The Gambia | The Gambia |
| GC | Spain (Canary Islands) | Canary Islands |
| GE | Spain (Ceuta andMelilla) | España |
| GF | Sierra Leone | Freetown |
| GG | Guinea-Bissau | Guinea-Bissau |
| GL | Liberia | Liberia |
| GM | Morocco | Morocco |
| GO | Senegal | |
| GQ | Mauritania | |
| GU | Guinea | Guinea |
| GV | Cape Verde | CapeVerde |
| H – East Africa and Northeast Africa | ||
| HA | Ethiopia | Addis Ababa |
| HB | Burundi | Burundi |
| HC | Somalia | |
| HD | Djibouti | Djibouti |
| HE | Egypt | Egypt |
| HH | Eritrea | |
| HJ | South Sudan | Juba |
| HK | Kenya | Kenya |
| HL | Libya | Libya |
| HR | Rwanda | Rwanda |
| HS | Sudan | Sudan |
| HT | Tanzania | Tanzania |
| HU | Uganda | Uganda |
| J – Mars | ||
| J | Mars[dubious –discuss] | |
| K – Contiguous United States | ||
| K | Contiguous United States | |
| L – Southern Europe, Israel, Palestine and Turkey | ||
| LA | Albania | Albania |
| LB | Bulgaria | Bulgaria |
| LC | Cyprus | Cyprus |
| LD | Croatia | |
| LE | Spain (mainland section andBalearic Islands) | España |
| LF | France (Metropolitan France,Saint-Pierre and Miquelon) | France |
| LG | Greece | Greece |
| LH | Hungary | Hungary |
| LI | Italy (andSan Marino) | Italy |
| LJ | Slovenia | Ljubljana |
| LK | Czech Republic | |
| LL | Israel | Israel |
| LM | Malta | Malta |
| LN | Monaco | Monaco |
| LO | Austria | Österreich |
| LP | Portugal (including theAzores andMadeira) | Portugal |
| LQ | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| LR | Romania | Romania |
| LS | Switzerland andLiechtenstein | Switzerland |
| LT | Turkey | Turkey |
| LU | Moldova | Chisinau |
| LV | Palestine/Occupied Palestinian territories | |
| LW | North Macedonia | |
| LX | Gibraltar | |
| LY | Serbia andMontenegro | Yugoslavia |
| LZ | Slovakia | |
| M – Central America, Mexico and northern/western parts of the Caribbean | ||
| MB | Turks and Caicos Islands | |
| MD | Dominican Republic | Dominican |
| MG | Guatemala | Guatemala |
| MH | Honduras | Honduras |
| MK | Jamaica | Kingston |
| MM | Mexico | Mexico |
| MN | Nicaragua | Nicaragua |
| MP | Panama | Panama |
| MR | Costa Rica | CostaRica |
| MS | El Salvador | ElSalvador |
| MT | Haiti | Haiti |
| MU | Cuba | Cuba |
| MW | Cayman Islands | |
| MY | Bahamas | |
| MZ | Belize | Belize |
| N – Most of the South Pacific and New Zealand | ||
| NC | Cook Islands | Cook Islands |
| NF | Fiji,Tonga | Fiji |
| NG | Kiribati (Gilbert Islands),Tuvalu | Gilbert Islands |
| NI | Niue | Niue |
| NL | France (Wallis and Futuna) | Wallis |
| NS | Samoa, United States (American Samoa) | Samoa |
| NT | France (French Polynesia) | Tahiti |
| NV | Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| NW | France (New Caledonia) | |
| NZ | New Zealand, parts ofAntarctica | NewZealand |
| O – Gulf States, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Jordan, West Bank | ||
| OA | Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
| OB | Bahrain | Bahrain |
| OE | Saudi Arabia | |
| OI | Iran | Iran |
| OJ | Jordan and theWest Bank | Jordan |
| OK | Kuwait | Kuwait |
| OL | Lebanon | Lebanon |
| OM | United Arab Emirates | Emirates |
| OO | Oman | Oman |
| OP | Pakistan | Pakistan |
| OR | Iraq | Iraq |
| OS | Syria | Syria |
| OT | Qatar | Qatar |
| OY | Yemen | Yemen |
| P – most of the North Pacific, and Kiribati | ||
| PA | US (Alaska)(also PF, PO and PP) | Alaska |
| PB | US (Baker Island) | Baker Island |
| PC | Kiribati (Canton Airfield,Phoenix Islands) | Canton |
| PF | US (Alaska)(also PA, PO and PP) | Fairbanks |
| PG | US (Guam,Northern Mariana Islands) | Guam |
| PH | US (Hawaii) | Hawaii |
| PJ | US (Johnston Atoll) | Johnston |
| PK | Marshall Islands | |
| PL | Kiribati (Line Islands) | Line Islands |
| PM | US (Midway Island) | Midway |
| 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) | Wake Island |
| R – Japan, S. Korea, Philippines | ||
| RC | Republic of China (Taiwan) | China |
| RJ | Japan (Mainland) | Japan |
| RK | South Korea (Republic of Korea) | Korea |
| RO | Japan (Okinawa) | Okinawa |
| RP | Philippines | Philippines |
| S – South America | ||
| SA | Argentina (including parts ofAntarctica)(also SR) | Argentina |
| SB | Brazil(also SD, SI, SJ, SN, SS and SW) | Brazil |
| SC | Chile (includingEaster Island and parts ofAntarctica)(also SH) | Chile |
| SD | Brazil(also SB, SI, SJ, SN, SS and SW) | |
| SE | Ecuador | Ecuador |
| SF | Falkland Islands | Falkland Islands |
| SG | Paraguay | 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 | Bolivia |
| SM | Suriname | Suriname |
| SN | Brazil(also SB, SD, SI, SJ, SS and SW) | |
| SO | France (French Guiana) | |
| SP | Peru | Peru |
| SS | Brazil(also SB, SD, SI, SJ, SN and SW) | |
| SU | Uruguay | Uruguay |
| SV | Venezuela | Venezuela |
| SW | Brazil(also SB, SD, SI, SJ, SN and SS) | |
| SY | Guyana | Guyana |
| T – Eastern and southern parts of the Caribbean | ||
| TA | Antigua and Barbuda | Antigua |
| TB | Barbados | Barbados |
| TD | Dominica | Dominica |
| TF | France (Guadeloupe,Martinique,Saint Barthélemy,Saint Martin) | France |
| TG | Grenada | Grenada |
| TI | US (U.S. Virgin Islands) | VirginIslands |
| TJ | US (Puerto Rico) | SanJuan |
| TK | Saint Kitts and Nevis | SaintKitts |
| TL | Saint Lucia | SaintLucia |
| TN | Caribbean Netherlands,Aruba,Curaçao,Sint Maarten | Netherlands |
| TQ | Anguilla | |
| TR | Montserrat | Montserrat |
| TT | Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad andTobago |
| TU | British Virgin Islands | |
| TV | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | SaintVincent |
| TX | Bermuda | |
| U – Most former Soviet countries | ||
| U | Russia(except as below) | |
| UA | Kazakhstan | Almaty |
| UB | Azerbaijan | Baku |
| UC | Kyrgyzstan | |
| UD | Armenia | |
| UG | Georgia | Georgia |
| UK | Ukraine | Ukraine |
| UM | Belarus and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) | Minsk |
| UT | Tajikistan,Turkmenistan | Tashkent |
| UZ[5] | Uzbekistan | |
| V – Many South Asian countries, mainland Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau | ||
| VA | India (West India) | |
| VC | Sri Lanka | Colombo |
| VD | Cambodia | Cambodia |
| VE | India (East India) | |
| VG | Bangladesh | Bangladesh |
| VH | Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| VI | India (North India) | |
| VL | Laos | Laos |
| VM | Macau | Macau |
| VN | Nepal | Nepal |
| VO | India (South India) | |
| VQ | Bhutan | |
| VR | Maldives | |
| VT | Thailand | Thailand |
| VV | Vietnam | Vietnam |
| VY | Myanmar | Yangon |
| W – Most of Maritime Southeast Asia | ||
| WA | Indonesia(also WI, WQ and WR) | |
| WB | Brunei,Malaysia (East Malaysia) | Brunei |
| WI | Indonesia(also WA, WQ and WR) | Indonesia |
| WM | Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) | Malaysia |
| WP | Timor-Leste | Portugal |
| WQ | Indonesia(also WA, WI and WR) | |
| WR | Indonesia(also WA, WI and WQ) | |
| WS | Singapore | Singapore |
| Y – Australia | ||
| Y | Australia (includingNorfolk Island,Christmas Island,Cocos (Keeling) Islands andAustralian Antarctic Territory) | |
| Z – China, North Korea and Mongolia | ||
| ZB | Northern China | Beijing |
| ZG | Southern China | Guangzhou |
| ZH | Central China | Wuhan |
| ZJ | Hainan | |
| ZL | Northwestern China | Lanzhou |
| ZP | Yunnan | |
| ZS | Eastern China | Shanghai |
| ZU | Southwestern China | Chengdu |
| ZW | Xinjiang | Wulumuqi |
| ZY | Northeast China | Shenyang |
| ZK | North Korea | NorthKorea |
| ZM | Mongolia | Mongolia |
| ZZZZ | Special, used for when no other code exists | |
Metropolitan area airport codes travel guide from Wikivoyage – for areas served by several airportsAirport codes travel guide from Wikivoyage – relating to particular airports*International Civil Aviation Organization (official site)