Airline code

Airline code established by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization ) two - or three-character code that is assigned to the airline (D.S. Chang, S.H. Chen, C.W. Hsu 2015, p. 7767-7768). Airline codes can be found on the official ICAO and IATA websites or in the tables containing both codes .

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO,United Nations specialized agency, created in 1944 to manage international civil aviation. ICAO aims to assist the Member States in aviation-related matters, for example in terms of environmental liability, safety, efficiency and compliance with applicable law. ICAO's goals are(B. Lutte 2015, p. 2):

• maintaining the same level of security in each region,
• optimizing movement traffic flow in each region,
• enabling data sharing and connectedness communication,
• harmonization of standards, operational procedures and performance requirements,
• achieving environmental goals,
• harmonization of security standards,
• development of global security coordination plans.

ICAO's two-character code is oriented towards pilots and air traffic controllers (professional users of the system). It is used for identifying airports, air traffic management, and weather reporting purposes.

IATA

International Air Transport Association IATA was founded in 1945 to promote economic and safe air services for the benefit of consumers. IATA's goals are(Official IATA website):

• raising awareness of benefits,
• regulatory accountability,
• increasing passenger comfort while reducing costs,
• deployment of sustainable low-carbon fuels,
• creation of international standards (primarily three-character airline code),
• simplification of aviation processes.

IATA's three-character code is known as a location identify - oriented towards users of the air transport system. It is used in ticketing, reservations, cargo documentation, timetables, liaison, and baggage routing. IATA codes are updated and shared every six months in the IATA Airline Coding Directory.

Examples of Airline code

• Emirates (EK): Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 140 cities in 80 countries across six continents. The airline’s IATA code is EK and its ICAO code is UAE.
• British Airways (BA): British Airways is a full-service international airline based in the United Kingdom. It is the largest airline in the UK and the second-largest in Europe. British Airways operates out of nine UK airports, with its main hub being London Heathrow. The airline’s IATA code is BA and its ICAO code is BAW.
• Air Canada (AC): Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. It operates an extensive international and domestic network, serving over 200 destinations in more than 50 countries. Air Canada’s main base is at Toronto Pearson International Airport and its IATA code is AC and its ICAO code is ACA.
• American Airlines (AA): American Airlines is the largest airline in the United States and the world’s second-largest airline by revenue. The airline operates an extensive international and domestic network, serving over 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American Airlines’ IATA code is AA and its ICAO code is AAL.

Advantages of Airline code

An airline code is a two - or three-character code assigned to airlines by the IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). It provides numerous advantages, including:

• Enhanced security - By using a standardized code, airline identification is much more secure. This ensures that airlines can accurately track who is flying and where they are going.
• Improved communication - Airline codes allow airlines, airports, and other stakeholders to easily communicate and coordinate with each other. This helps to ensure a smoother and more efficient air travel experience.
• Streamlined booking process - Airline codes make the reservation, ticketing, and booking process much simpler and more efficient. They allow customers to quickly and easily book flights and track their progress.
• Cost savings - Airline codes help airlines to save on costs associated with marketing, branding, and customer service. They also help to reduce the time and money spent on training personnel and managing operational systems.

Limitations of Airline code

Airline codes have several limitations, including:

• The codes are only assigned to airlines, not to individual airports, which means that an airline could have multiple codes for different airports.
• The codes are only used for the purpose of ticketing and reservations and are not intended for navigation or communication between aircraft and air traffic control.
• The codes are limited to two or three characters, which means that the codes can be difficult to remember.
• The codes are not necessarily unique; multiple airlines may have the same code.
• The codes may change over time as airlines merge or go out of business.
• The codes do not always reflect the name of the airline.

Other approaches related to Airline code

One of the most common approaches related to Airline code is the two - or three-character code that is assigned to the airline by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). Other approaches related to the Airline code are:

• Aircraft Registration Number - Every civil aircraft has a unique registration number, assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in accordance with the conventions of the Chicago Convention. This number is printed on the aircraft itself.
• Airline Designator - A code assigned to a carrier by IATA (International Air Transport Association) that identifies the airline in various computerized reservations systems.
• Coded Flight Number - A number assigned to a flight by the airlines, generally with the two letter airline code, followed by a digit.

In summary, the most common approach related to Airline code is the two - or three-character code assigned to the airline by IATA and ICAO, but other approaches such as Aircraft Registration Number, Airline Designator, and Coded Flight Number are also used.

Airline code — recommended articles

Corporate network — Notice of arrival — Barcode — Multimodal transport system — Service delivery architecture — International transport — Container depot — Quality system in local government — IT systems in production management — Speed to market

References

• Choi J. (2007), IATA Operation safety audii (IOSA) a practical tool for the air transport industryTaiwan p. 2-4
• Gayle P.G.(2006), Airline Code-share Alliances and their Competitive Effects, MTD Training Kansas State University, p. 2-6
• Lutte B. (2015), ICAO Aviation System Block Upgrades: A Method for Identifying Training Needs p. 1-6
• Nyirubutama J.P. (2014), Industry contribution to Aviation Safety Improvement: RwandAir IOSA process and IATA supportp. 2-5
• Yuh-Horg W., Yuh-Horg H.(2005), Interactive multiobjective programming in airline network design for international airline code-share allianceTaiwan, p. 405-406

Footnotes

Author: Aleksandra Wilczyńska