View Full Version : Canadian airport IATA codes
Boonanza
6th Nov 2007, 13:48
Just a quick one, can anyone shed some light on why all Canadian 3 letter IATA airport codes start with the letter Y?
:ok: Boonie
A story I have heard is that when the codes were first being distributed to airports around the world, the Canadian Representative failed to show up (or Canada failed to send one... the stories will vary from who you speak to). So the Canadian airports were just assigned different Y codes, because a list was not submitted as to what codes to have assigned to those airports. From that point on I guess it just stuck that any other major airport in Canada decided to continue the trend by being identified by a code that started with Y.
The man at the IATA did say, however, "any new applying airport in Canada can suggest to be assigned any available code, they are not forced or even recommended to select a code with the letter Y".
With acknowledgement to http://3la.ca/yyg (http://3la.ca/yyg)
PaperTiger
6th Nov 2007, 15:30
Good one, BOAC :) Almost as good as version B:
ICAO convention chairman "Good morning, each country will be assigned a letter to start their airport code".
Canadian representative "Why ?".
Chairman "Canada has selected 'Y'. Next".
The actual evolution seems lost in the mists of time, but it seems clear that Canada did have a 2-character code for its cities before the ICAO codes were assigned. It has been suggested that those codes were originally assigned by the Canadian Pacific Railway for telegraphic purposes. That would explain why Toronto didn't get "TO" as it's code - TO having a specific meaning.
Then there is the "coincidence" that the original serials for RCAF planes were in the G-CYxx range, and now the ICAO codes for Canada are (mostly) CYxx.
Any of the above true ?
I haven't the faintest idea.
TwinAisle
7th Nov 2007, 12:48
ICAO convention chairman "Good morning, each country will be assigned a letter to start their airport code".
Canadian representative "Why ?".
Chairman "Canada has selected 'Y'. Next".
Can't believe given my experience of my Canadian chums that they don't all start with an 'A' on that basis!
TA