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Airport Codes

What are Airport Codes?

Curious what those 3 letter airport codes mean? Where did they come from? How are they used? Read on, as all will be revealed.

Every airport has a 3 letter identifying code known as an IATA code. IATA, the International Air Transit Association, is an international independent association focused primarily on aviation safety, but also the simplification of the airline business, airline security, and as of late, the environment. However, for the average traveler, the IATA is the entity responsible for all those airport codes.

History of Airport Codes

Airport Codes were born out of convenience as pilots and airlines tried to keep track of the many airports popping up. By implementing a unified, simple and easy to remember system, airline, pilots and even passengers could quickly know what location the airport code referred to. Airport codes are also short enough to easily fit into computer systems (which is especially important to older computer systems being used when airlines started popping up) and they are often used on boarding passes and on luggage tags.

Savvy business travelers will have many of these memorized and will smugly test their fellow travelers or post the airport code on Facebook informing their network of what glamorous locale they are visiting that week (I can neither confirm or deny I’ve done this…haha).

How are Airport Codes chosen?

It’s funny right? Some airport codes totally make sense. Like BOS for Boston. Ok, we totally get that. Or ONT for Ontario, CA and DFW for Dallas Fort Worth Airport.

But what about ORD for O’Hare? Or Los Angeles’ LAX? Orange County’s SNA? Yikes! How are those airport codes chosen?

Well, IATA’s preference is that the code reflect the first three letters of the cities name (hence BOS = Boston). But, you have to remember it was kind of the wild west back in the early days of aviation. Airports popped up and went away. Airlines came and went. The aviation industry was still in quite a bit of flux at the time.

For example, John Wayne Airport, in Orange County used to be named Orange County Airport. However, it’s code is SNA. What gives? Well, the airport was situated in sort of a no-mans land long ago and the town of Santa Ana was the best town to be offiliated with the airport. So, SNA comes from Santa Ana.

ORD in Chicago? ORD used to be called Old Orchard Airport, hence the IATA Code ORD. Then you have places like MCO in Orlando that came from the name of the old airbase McCoy Airbase. Or IAD, which is Dulles International Airport – what what? Yeah, they codes are transposed due to confusion with nearby Ronald Reagan Airport, or DCA.

Why do some airports have X’s in their airport codes?

Early on there were many airports that only had two letter codes. Places like Los Angeles, Portland and Phoenix. Adding an X to the end of the code allowed them to be compliant with the IATA nomenclature and we forever now know these airports at LAX, PDX and PHX (although PHX kinda worked out didn’t it…lol).

Here’s a link to a full list of Airport Codes: https://airportcod.es/

Funny Airport Codes & Interesting Airport Codes

Airport Codes I wish existed

Other interesting facts about Airport Codes

The Airports and Airport Codes I’ve been to!

So, here’s an ever growing list of Airport Codes that I personally have been to over the years – not inclusive – with a occasional commentary about the AP, or the visit to the area. My fav’s are highlighted in blue.

I will keep adding to this list…I did a quick check and w/ the exception of Honolulu AP I’ve been to every single one of the 30 largest airports in the US, and numerous other regional or smaller ones. 89 so far, but that feels light. I will keep adding ’em.

How about you? Do you have some favorite airport codes? Join the conversation and share your favorite airports and of course their 3 letter airport code. Don’t forget to check out my list of airports that I’ve yet to hit, below:

Here’s a few airports I’ve YET to fly in/out/through.

Think of it as my Airport bucket list (or airport codes bucket list). LOL…so sad.

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