View Full Version : BA Callsigns
HOBAY 3
31st Mar 2001, 08:19
Can any of the Nigels out there tell me how BA comes up with some of its callsign suffixes? Some recent examples I've heard are 'Speedbird 92X' and 'Speedbird 82W'. Is this just a form of distinguishing between different legs of a flight with the same flight number, or does it have some other significance?
Gonzo
31st Mar 2001, 15:27
Not that I'm a Nigel, but one reason for the alpha-numeric callsigns is to prevent callsign confusion.
ie. What used to be BAW95 from LHR is now BAW9L, the BAW 324 to Paris from LHR is now called the 24LC, BAW 554 to Lisbon is 54PT etc etc. These flights conflict at some point along the route with other flights of a similar callsign.
For example, at LHR the Sabena 47L and BAW47ML always used to come in within a few minutes of eachother, sometimes one behind the other. A few reports were put in about callsign confusion highlighting the possibility of one a/c taking the landing clearance meant for the other, and now I believe 47ML is now called something else.
Gonzo
[This message has been edited by Gonzo (edited 31 March 2001).]
airforcenone
1st Apr 2001, 15:40
It doesn't get over the confusion totally. I've heard Speedbird 95 and Speedbird 95X on the same frequency at the same time. I was Speedbird 95XC!!
Oh yes, I agree, I was doing Ground the other day when I told the newly changed BAW9L to give way to BAW19L and it all resulted in much hilarity!
Gonzo
cb's are pretty
2nd Apr 2001, 16:07
Why do all the BA subsiduaries ie BRAL, cityflier etc use different call signs to flight numbers? I often hear the crew mixing up the call sign for ATC with the flight numbers for the handlers.