How to Find Any Airport Code in Seconds

Understanding Airport Code Systems

Every commercial airport in the world has at least two identification codes, and most travelers only know one of them. Understanding both systems helps you navigate booking sites, read pilot charts, and recognize airports that use completely different codes depending on who’s asking.

IATA Codes: The Three Letters You Know

When you book a flight, search Google Flights, or check your luggage tag, you’re using IATA codes. The International Air Transport Association assigns these three-letter identifiers to airports worldwide for commercial aviation.

LAX for Los Angeles, JFK for New York’s John F. Kennedy, LHR for London Heathrow, NRT for Tokyo Narita. These codes appear on boarding passes, flight displays, and every airline reservation system on earth.

IATA codes follow loose patterns but aren’t standardized. Many derive from city names (CHI for Chicago’s general area), old airport names (ORD for Chicago O’Hare, formerly Orchard Field), or seemingly random assignments (YYZ for Toronto, where Y indicates Canadian airports and YZ was simply available).

There are approximately 11,000 IATA airport codes currently assigned, though thousands more airports exist without commercial service and therefore without IATA identifiers.

ICAO Codes: The Four Letters Pilots Use

The International Civil Aviation Organization assigns four-letter codes that pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight planners actually use for navigation and communication. These codes follow strict geographic logic.

The first letter indicates the region:

• K – Continental United States (KLAX, KJFK, KORD)
• C – Canada (CYYZ for Toronto, CYVR for Vancouver)
• E – Northern Europe (EGLL for London Heathrow, EHAM for Amsterdam)
• L – Southern Europe (LFPG for Paris Charles de Gaulle)
• R – Asian Pacific (RJTT for Tokyo Haneda)
• Z – China (ZBAA for Beijing Capital)

The second letter typically indicates the country within that region. The final two letters identify the specific airport.

ICAO codes matter for flight planning, weather reports (METARs and TAFs use ICAO identifiers), and international aviation communication. Pilots file flight plans using ICAO codes, not IATA codes.

Why Some Codes Don’t Match

The two systems developed independently for different purposes. IATA codes prioritize commercial convenience and passenger recognition. ICAO codes prioritize systematic global organization for aviation professionals.

This creates memorable mismatches:

Montreal: IATA code YUL, ICAO code CYUL. The Y prefix indicates Canada in IATA’s North American system, while ICAO adds C for the Canadian region.

Chicago O’Hare: IATA code ORD (from Orchard Field, the airport’s 1940s name), ICAO code KORD (adding K for continental US).

Beijing: IATA code PEK (from Peking, the old romanization), ICAO code ZBAA (Z for China, B for the Beijing region, AA for the primary airport).

How to Look Up Any Airport Code

For IATA codes: Simply search “[city name] airport code” on any search engine. Booking sites like Google Flights, Kayak, and Expedia also accept city names and display the corresponding code.

For ICAO codes: Aviation-specific resources work best. AirNav.com provides comprehensive US airport data. SkyVector.com covers global airports with charts. The FAA’s Airport/Facility Directory lists every US airport with both code systems.

For conversions: Wikipedia’s airport articles consistently list both codes. The Great Circle Mapper (gcmap.com) accepts either system and displays both.

Special Cases and Exceptions

Airports without IATA codes: Small airports serving only general aviation don’t need commercial booking codes. They have ICAO codes (or FAA identifiers in the US) but no IATA assignment. Example: Catalina Airport (KAVX) in California has an ICAO code but no IATA code because no commercial airlines serve it.

Cities with multiple airports: Major cities assign different codes to each airport. New York has JFK, LGA (LaGuardia), and EWR (Newark). London has LHR (Heathrow), LGW (Gatwick), STN (Stansted), LTN (Luton), and LCY (City). Tokyo has NRT (Narita) and HND (Haneda).

Duplicate codes: IATA and ICAO work to prevent duplicates, but legacy assignments occasionally create confusion. Context usually clarifies which airport is meant.

Using Codes for Cheaper Flights

Understanding airport codes unlocks flexible search strategies:

Search by region: Google Flights lets you search “London” and see all five airports. Knowing the codes lets you compare specific airports on other booking sites.

Check secondary airports: Flying into Oakland (OAK) instead of San Francisco (SFO) often saves money. Same for Burbank (BUR) vs Los Angeles (LAX), or Baltimore (BWI) vs Washington Dulles (IAD).

Use metropolitan area codes: Some booking engines accept WAS for all Washington DC airports, NYC for all New York airports, or CHI for all Chicago airports.

Memorizing Codes That Matter

Frequent travelers eventually memorize codes for their common routes. Start with:

Your home airport and its alternatives

Major hubs you connect through (ATL, DFW, ORD, DEN for domestic US; LHR, AMS, FRA, CDG for transatlantic)

Destination airports you visit regularly

Pilots memorize hundreds of codes as part of their training, but casual travelers need only recognize the dozen or so airports they actually use.

Quick Reference: 25 Codes Every Traveler Should Know

US Major Hubs: ATL (Atlanta), ORD (Chicago), DFW (Dallas), DEN (Denver), LAX (Los Angeles), JFK (New York), SFO (San Francisco), SEA (Seattle), MIA (Miami)

International Hubs: LHR (London Heathrow), CDG (Paris), FRA (Frankfurt), AMS (Amsterdam), DXB (Dubai), SIN (Singapore), HKG (Hong Kong), NRT (Tokyo Narita), SYD (Sydney)

Commonly Confused: ORD is Chicago (not Orlando), MCO is Orlando, SAN is San Diego, SJC is San Jose, SAT is San Antonio

Airport codes might seem like trivial aviation jargon, but they’re the universal language connecting every flight booking, every baggage tag, and every pilot’s flight plan. Learning the system makes you a more capable traveler.