Origin of airport country prefixes
 

I'm wondering who an me when these were defined by what rules:

K: US (why "K"?)
EG: UK ("G"reat Britain?)
ED: Germany ("D"eutschland?)
LF: France
LS: Switzerland

BTW, why do UK/Germany start with "E", but France/Switzerland with "L"?

A related question is about country prefixes in airplane identifiers. Were these defined by ICAO?

Thanks,

Michael

The most basic of web searches could have found you https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...n_airport_code

For some more interesting examples, look into the BKxx and ETxx series.

You're right, of course. My Google-fu was not up to scratch today.

Sorry for the unnecessary post and thanks for the extra trivia.

Michael

E is Northern Europe
L is for Latin Europe (eg those countries closer to the Mediterranean)

Incidentally, the EGXX identifiers work like this

EGLL (for London Airport) is a 'mother' aerodrome, whilst EGLD (Denham) is a 'daughter'. I think this dates back to the time when telex messages were sent to a main aerodrome for re-distribution. Look for other examples such as EGSS (Stansted) EGKK (Gatwick) EGHH (Bournemouth - Hurn, hence the HH) etc etc. Latterly, TT is used for more recent additions (EGTP for Perranporth) and some military bases have EGDX (EGDR for RNAS Culdrose, EGDG for RAF St. Mawgan). When as part of the latter became Newquay Airport, they were assigned a Hurn daughter code, EGHQ (most aerodromes West of Bournemouth have a 'H' code, but there are anomalies, Bodmin is EGLA, how did that happen???)

The Unites States have a far simpler system. Each airport has an IATA (International Air Transport Association) 3-letter code, which you will see on your luggage label. The Americans simply add a 'K' to the IATA code to produce the ICAO code eg MCO (Orlando) becomes KMCO. Simple!

PS London Airport is on the A4 Bath Road and is otherwise known as Heath Row, 2 separate words (or LHR on your luggage tag) Beware if imitations!!! (London-Gatwick, London-Luton, London-Stansted, London - practically everywhere else in the South-East!!!)

TOO

You would think Canada's system of adding C to the IATA code would be simple too, except for historical reasons, mainly to do with weather stations, we have names like CYYR, CYYT, CYYC, CYYZ, etc.

The only airfield in this sequence which is not a major airport, is CYYM - Cowley Alberta. A grass strip, nowadays used only for glider wave-flying, but originally was an emergency landing ground for TCA's Lockheed Electras, if bad weather precluded a flight westwards through the Rockies.

The one in the UK that I like most is EGGW for.... well, Luton, obviously. I mean, who could ever find that misleading or confusing?

Not ALL US airports "just add K". Hawaii and Alaska are PH and PA respectively. Though conveniently, Honolulu (HNL) becomes PHNL and Anchorage (ANC) becomes PANC. There is also a tiny handful that just don't follow the rule, can't remember them offhand. Could be interesting if anyone ever started a commercial service into Henderson, Nevada (which is a GA reliever for Las Vegas) - KHND. I guess something would have to change and it probably wouldn't be Haneda (RJTT, but you guessed that already).

Luton was EGLN prior to 1967 when it was connected by AFTN to Heathrow Coms centre EGLL. Similarly Elstree was EGLE. Then this new fangled Coms Centre at Croydon was opened EGGG so Luton became EGGW. Elstree was connected to West Drayton EGTT so became EGTR.

Or you can get a code with your initials in it like EGMJ, the marvellous Little Gransden, owned/run by the inimitable Mark Jeffries. Magic!!

Only US airports that have a 3 letter IATA code get the 'K' treatment. Other strips eg private ones etc, get a 3 digit number/letter assigned to them.

Bahamas' codes are based on the UK system, but modified to identify the island group:

MY for Caribbean/Bahamas

3rd letter for the island eg N for New Providence, A for Abaco, G for Grand Bahama etc

4th letter for the airport eg MYAM for Marsh Harbour, MYAT for Treasure Cay, MYNN for Nassau, MYGF for Freeport.

It works well, once you understand the logic.

I can remember Bermuda/Kindley Field when it was MXKF (now TXKF)

Who else remembers GALA (London(Heathrow) prior to 1957?
GAHC was Southend, ONOS Ostend, FFLT Le Touquet, PAAM Amsterdam are a few I was brought up with in my early days in ATC

Is there some sort of logic for designators in Italy? I mean: LIPX, LIPZ?
Aaaah, nevermind...

Little Rock National Airport (ICAO code KLIT)

Looking for logic (in a "northern" sense) in Italy is a curious idea... Better go look for poetry there.

I'm sure I can this thread down into the gutter.

NCE - WBQ

Val de Caes - Vance Air Force Base

Fly safe! :p

Officially known until recently as Bill and Hillary Clinton airport, it was being referred to by its old name of Adams Field when I was there in May. Not sure why the change, but the innuendo implied above is probably not the reason!

you sure?

@jan
now, now

Nice little trivia question... which airport's ICAO code is the same as its name?

Answer tomorrow if nobody gets it.

So Glasgow (Prestwick) is EGPK - P restwic K ?
Glasgow International (50 years old this year) is EGPF
but Glasgow (Cumbernauld!) is EGPG - wouldn't it have been easier to give this to Glasgow International and make Cumbernauld EGPF?
Edinburgh is EGPH - couldn't it be EGPE, but that is Inverness. Which could have been EGPH for Highlands, since I suppose Islay got EGPI (but could have been EGPW for Whisky?!)
But then EGPW is for Unst, since EGPU is for Tiree!

Aaargh! None of it makes sense - except that, fromwest to east it is Glasgow Int (EGPF) Glasgow Cumbernauld (EGPG) and Glasgow East (Edinburgh EGPH)

And there doesn't seem to be an EGPP master station - unless that was the old Renfrew?

L=southern Europe
I=Italy
P=Padova area
Then a letter for the airport.