How do airports get their codes

Many airport codes have even become synonymous with a city as a whole, as you can see from a large amount of merchandise with airport codes printed on them. Additionally, when two cities have the same name, airport codes come in handy. One Dutch traveler learned this the hard way.

He had booked a ticket to Sydney, Australia—or so he thought. Ultimately, he landed in Sydney, Nova Scotia, a small town that is nothing like Australia and definitely has a different vibe. In the meantime, you can read about 10 airports that stand out around the world and that travelers should know.

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For more information on our advertiser disclosure, click here. A very interesting read! Thank you! I hope he is healing quickly.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Skip to content. You may be familiar with the main details on your boarding pass: your name, seat number, departure and destination.

Ever wondered where it comes from? One would be wrong. Flat fields with strong winds evolved into transportation hubs, places of work, and increasingly shopping malls. Aviation officials came up with the 3-letter code, figuring it unlikely that 17, airports would dot the world the number of combinations allowed with 3 letters.

Chicago is close enough to Canada to bring us back to the Y. Why the Y? Every country will have a different explanation and backstory for their codes. Hopefully, this article sheds some light on the conventions that govern this aspect of air travel. When it comes to ICAO codes, the country or region code is the main structure that governs the rest of the four-letter code.

Did you learn anything new about airport codes? Is there anything that we missed? Have your say in the comments. Deputy Editor - An experienced photographer and video producer, Chris is a journalistic natural. Share this: Twitter Facebook. We use cookies on our website to enhance your experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.

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