IATA Airport Code

The IATA airport code is a three-letter alphabetic code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The IATA airport codes are published tri-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. The assignment of these codes is governed by IATA Resolution 767, and it is administered by IATA headquarters in Montreal. IATA also provides codes for railway stations and for airport handling entities.

The codes are not quite unique: 323 of these possible 17,576 codes are used by more than one airport.

The characters prominently displayed on baggage tags attached at airport check-in desks are an example of a way these codes are used.

While the IATA codes are the most familiar airport codes, the 4-letter ICAO airport codes are also common. All international flights are flight-planned and tracked using ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) designators.

A list of airports, sorted by IATA code, is available. Also, a List of Rail Stations codeshared in agreements between airlines and rail lines such as Amtrak, SNCF French Rail, Deutsche Bahn, Thalys International, and Swiss Rail is available.