IATA and ICAO airport codes

Definition

IATA airport codes usually contain three letters and are widely used in bookings, Air Waybills, baggage and cargo systems. ICAO location indicators contain four letters and mainly support flight operations and authorities. Metropolitan area codes may group several airports.

Why does it matter?

Similar names, metropolitan regions and cities with multiple airports create routing risk. Collection, customs and delivery require the actual airport rather than the city name alone.

Key points

• Confirm the code together with the full airport name.
• Do not treat a city code as one specific airport.
• For multi-terminal airports, confirm the actual handling location.

Practical example

LON is a city code covering several London airports, while LHR specifically means London Heathrow. The actual airport is fixed for the air cargo booking.

Common mistakes

• Confusing airports because they share a city name
• Treating three- and four-letter codes as interchangeable
• Dispatching a truck from the airport code without checking terminal or handler