Airports generally have three-letter codes, and they tend to confuse people given the lack of consistent naming conventions. If you’ve ever been curious about where an airport code comes from, there’s a handy website that explains it clearly — one that avgeeks in particular will really enjoy.
Airportcod.es Tells You How Airport Codes Are Chosen
There are over 11,000 airports in the world with three-letter IATA airport code assignments. Since there are over 40,000 aviation facilities around the globe, these codes are typically reserved for airports with commercial traffic, or else we’d run out of them.
How are those codes actually decided? Globally, there’s no consistent rhyme or reason to it, and that’s why airportcod.es is such a useful website. In addition to virtually all major airports being listed in grid format, you can also search for your preferred airport and click through to see a plain-language explanation of how its code was chosen.
The Most Common Ways Airport Codes Are Chosen
There’s no single system by which airport codes are assigned. With a limited number of codes available, not every airport can get its first choice.
The most straightforward and common naming method is based on the name of the destination. Examples include Addis Ababa (ADD) and Auckland (AKL). As those show, the letters aren’t always consecutive — they can be pulled from various parts of a city’s name.
A slight variation on this occurs when the preferred code is already taken, so another letter is substituted. Dubai (DXB), for example, would likely have preferred the code Dublin (DUB) already holds, so an “X” was subbed in for the “U.”
The next most common method is based on the person or thing the airport is named after, which may differ from the city it serves. Examples include New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
Then there’s the category of codes that cause confusion because the letters have nothing to do with the airport’s current name. Orlando (MCO) uses a code based on its former name, McCoy Air Force Base, while Chicago O’Hare (ORD) reflects its old name, Orchard Field.
Finally, some codes are simply puzzling to most travelers. Montreal Trudeau (YUL) is a good example — while Canadian airport codes consistently start with “Y,” the “UL” comes from a nearby radio beacon, which isn’t exactly the most intuitive naming source.
Bottom Line
There’s a lot of inconsistency across airport codes. With so many airports and only a limited pool of available codes, not every airport gets its first choice. The most common system ties codes to the destination name, but many are based on the airport’s official name — especially when it honors a person. Others trace back to historical names or obscure references that most travelers would never guess.
If you’re curious about the story behind a specific airport code, airportcod.es is worth bookmarking.
