ICAO v IATA

[NW3]

Hi All.

Just had a quick search on the site, but can't find any info about this: just wondering what the origins of the UK's ICAO codes are. It seems like the USA and Canadian codes are just K or C + IATA, but we've gone for EGLL (London?), EGCC, EGBB (etc.)... EGGW though?!

Cheers

NW3

[ATMspecialist]

ICAO has divided the globe into zones, and given each zone it`s own letter. Continental USA is a zone all of its own, and has the identifier K. Same for Canada, here the letter is C. In those two countries you just add the IATA designator after the K resp. C and you have the ICAO designator.

England is in zone E, thus the first letter in the identifier is E, then the country has been assigned the letter G, and the last two letters are specific to the aerodrome in question.

Some claim that E stands for Europe, but that`s not the case. Try telling that to the French, they are in zone L....

Here`s a few others in zone E:

EN - Norway
ES - Sweden
EF - Finland
EP - Poland
ET/ED - Germany
EK - Denmark
EH - Holland
EB - Belgium
EI - Eire

Rgds,
AS

[NW3]

ATMs - thanks for the info.

I assumed there was some logic like that, but was also wondering why we in the UK didn't go for the American method (was it simply that we weren't allowed to have 'G' all to ourselves).

Even with the current system, I was wondering whether the last two characters are random, or sequential. Using my example above, why is Luton EGGW not EGLU (which appears to be available).

NW3

[chiglet]

It's the "old" AFTN [Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network].
E [Europe] G [Great Britain] G [Preston {I think}resposibility] X [Airfield] Thus EGGP...Liverpool, is on the same "network" as EGGW... Luton.
It "used to be that EGX was "parent" to ALL EGX... A/Fs
Nowadays it is "slightly" more subtle, EGCC...Manchester is "Parent" to all EGC.... plus a lot of others.
Sorry about the "ramble" hope it helps
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy