ICAO Airport Codes – A Simple Guide
Are ICAO Codes The Same As IATA Codes
What Are ICAO Airport Codes
If you have travelled by air, you will no doubt have seen a couple of small codes listed next to the name of the airport to which you are travel to and from. These codes are usually displayed on booking documents, websites, luggage labels or even at the airport itself. These are codes that are displayed everyway in reference to each airport throughout the world but very few people actually know or understand what they mean or what their purpose actually is.
There are two commonly used codes that are displayed in reference to each individual airport around the world and these codes are the ICAO code and the IATA code. On this page, we will be explaining what ICAO airport codes are and what their significance is in relation to each operational airport throughout the world.
The ICAO Airport Codes
The ICAO code or Location Indicator is basically a four digit code that is designed to distinguish every airport individually around the world. Each airport is given its own unique code and the airport can then be identified using that code. No two ICAO airport codes are the same and each airport is issued with its own unique code.
What Does ICAO Stand For
The ICAO stands for ‘International Civil Aviation Organization‘. The International Civil Aviation Organization was set up in 1947 and it was supported by the United Nations. The ICAO airport codes were originally designed to help flight planning, controlling air traffic and also to help identify each airport throughout the world quickly.
What Are ICAO Airport Codes Used For
The ICAO codes of all the airports around the world are used in airline operations and flight planning. They are also used for Air Traffic Control communications and help them identify an individual airport very quickly. The ICAO code is also used by pilots and many flight tracking software applications.
Are ICAO Codes The Same As IATA Codes
No, ICAO airport codes and IATA airport codes are different and represent two different things. As we mentioned earlier, the ICAO is more commonly used in the flight operation process such as Air Traffic Control, by pilots, for flight planning and tracking. The ICAO code of an airport is not normally as visible to passengers, simply because they don’t really need to know it. The IATA code is more commonly used on flight tickets, baggage labels, documents and is much more visible to the passenger in the booking and travel process.
How Are ICAO Airport Codes Issued
ICAO airport codes are issued to an airport based on its location and provide Geographic information about the airport. This then means that the ICAO code of an airport can provide people with a quick indication of the location of the airport. Each region and country has designated letters and codes and as a result, an airport will be issued with a code that corresponds with the region and country to which it is located.
The first letter on an airports ICAO code is allocated for the Continent and the second letter is designated to represent the country within that region. The last two letter of the four digit code simply represent the airport itself.
For Example:
The letter ‘E’ represents Northern Europe
The letter ‘G’ represents The United Kingdom
Therefore, the airport ICAO code for any UK airport will start with the two letters EG and will then have two additional letters after the EG. As you will see from the list below, the last two letter of the ICAO that represent the airport do not actually correspond with the initials of the airport unlike the IATA code. Fore Example: The ICAO code for Manchester Airport is EGCC, the last two letters representing the airport are CC. However, the IATA code for Manchester Airport is MAN.
List Of All UK Airport ICAO Codes
Aberdeen Airport: EGPD
Alderney Airport In Guernsey: EGJA
Barra Airport: EGPR
Belfast City Airport: EGAC
Belfast International Airport: EGAA
Benbecula Airport: EGPL
Biggin Hill Airport London: EGKB
Birmingham International Airport: EGBB
Blackbushe Airport: EGLK
Blackpool International Airport; EGNH
Bournemouth International Airport: EGHH
Bristol International Airport: EGGD
Cambridge Airport: EGSC
Campbeltown Airport: EGEC
Cardiff Airport: EGFF
Carlisle Airport: EGNC
City of Derry Eglinton Airport: EGAE
Coventry International Airport: EGBE
Dalcross Airport Inverness : EGPE
Doncaster Sheffield Airport: EGCN
Dundee Airport: EGPN
Durham Tees Valley Airport: EGNV
East Midlands Airport: EGNX
Edinburgh Airport: EGPH
Exeter International Airport: EGTE
Farnborough Airport: EGLF
Filton Airport Bristol: EGTG
Gatwick Airport: EGKK
Glasgow Airport: EGPF
Gloucestershire Airport: EGBJ
Guernsey Airport In Guernsey: EGJB
Haverfordwest Airport: EGFE
Hawarden Airport In Chester: EGNR
Heathrow Airport: EGLL
Humberside International Airport: EGNJ
Islay Airport: EGPI
Isle of Man Airport : EGNS
Isles of Scilly – St Mary´s Airport: EGHE
Jersey Airport Jersey: EGJJ
Kirkwall Airport: EGPA
Land´s End Airport: EGHC
Leeds Bradford International Airport: EGNM
Liverpool John Lennon Airport: EGGP
London City Airport: EGLC
Luton Airport: EGGW
Lydd Airport: EGMD
Manchester Airport: EGCC
Manston – Kent International Airport: EGMH
Newcastle Airport: EGNT
Newquay Airport: EGDG
Norwich International Airport: EGSH
Orkney Eday Airport: EGED
Orkney Island North Ronaldsay Airport: EGEN
Oxford Airport: EGTK
Penzance Heliport: EGHK
Plymouth City Airport: EGHD
Prestwick Airport Glasgow: EGPK
Scatsta Airport Shetland: EGPM
Sheffield City Airport: EGSY
Shetland Isles Lerwick Tingwall Airport: EGET
Shoreham Airport: EGKA
Southampton International Airport: EGHI
Southend Airport: EGMC
Stansted Airport: EGSS
Stornoway Airport: EGPO
Sumburgh Airport on the Shetland Isles: EGPB
Swansea Airport: EGFH
Tiree Airport: EGPU
Wick Aerodrome: EGPC
Below are the ICAO airport codes for all the airports that are located in Ireland. As you can see, all airports that are located in Ireland have a different code to those in the UK. The first two letters of the ICAO codes for Ireland are EI and not EG like the UK airports.
Ireland
Cork International Airport: EICK
Donegal International Airport: EIDL
Dublin Airport: EIDW
Galway Airport: EICM
Ireland West Airport Knock: EIKN
Kerry Airport: EIKY
Shannon Airport: EINN
Sligo Airport: EISG
Waterford Airport: EIWF
The ICAO airport codes play a major role in the day to day operations of any airport and we hope that this guide has been help is you understanding what the ICAO airports codes are for. If you would like to see a full list of Airports and their ICAO codes, please click on the link below: