Codes & Telecom
World Airport Code (IATA) Lookup
Find the three-letter IATA code for any major world airport, or reverse-search a code to identify the airport and its city.
John F. Kennedy Intl
New York, United States
Los Angeles Intl
Los Angeles, United States
O'Hare Intl
Chicago, United States
Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta, United States
San Francisco Intl
San Francisco, United States
Toronto Pearson
Toronto, Canada
Heathrow
London, United Kingdom
Gatwick
London, United Kingdom
Charles de Gaulle
Paris, France
Orly
Paris, France
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, Germany
Munich
Munich, Germany
Schiphol
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Barajas
Madrid, Spain
El Prat
Barcelona, Spain
Fiumicino
Rome, Italy
Malpensa
Milan, Italy
Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
Arlanda
Stockholm, Sweden
Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
Istanbul Airport
Istanbul, Turkey
Dubai Intl
Dubai, UAE
King Khalid Intl
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Indira Gandhi Intl
Delhi, India
Chhatrapati Shivaji
Mumbai, India
Changi
Singapore, Singapore
Kuala Lumpur Intl
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Suvarnabhumi
Bangkok, Thailand
Soekarno-Hatta
Jakarta, Indonesia
Ninoy Aquino
Manila, Philippines
Hong Kong Intl
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Pudong
Shanghai, China
Capital Intl
Beijing, China
Narita
Tokyo, Japan
Haneda
Tokyo, Japan
Incheon Intl
Seoul, South Korea
Kingsford Smith
Sydney, Australia
Tullamarine
Melbourne, Australia
Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Guarulhos
São Paulo, Brazil
Ministro Pistarini
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Benito Juárez
Mexico City, Mexico
O. R. Tambo
Johannesburg, South Africa
Jomo Kenyatta
Nairobi, Kenya
Cairo Intl
Cairo, Egypt
Domodedovo
Moscow, Russia
Sheremetyevo
Moscow, Russia
Ben Gurion
Tel Aviv, Israel
What airport codes are and why they exist
Every commercial airport in the world is identified by a three-letter IATA code, assigned by the International Air Transport Association. These codes appear on your boarding pass, your baggage tag and every flight information display. They let airlines, booking systems and passengers refer unambiguously to an airport without ambiguity from duplicate city names (there are many Springfields and Frankfurts).
A parallel four-letter ICAO system is used for air traffic control and operations. Travellers almost always deal with IATA codes; this tool focuses on those.
The curious history of airport codes
Many codes are obvious — LHR for London Heathrow, JFK for John F. Kennedy, CDG for Charles de Gaulle. But many are not, and the reason is usually history. Codes were often assigned from the airport's original name or a nearby landmark and kept even when the name changed. New Orleans' MSY comes from the Moisant Stock Yards that once occupied the land; Orlando's MCO from McCoy Air Force Base; Chicago's ORD from Orchard Field.
Once assigned, codes almost never change, because they are embedded in decades of airline systems, printed materials and passenger memory. This is why you will occasionally encounter a code that bears no resemblance to the airport's current name.
IATA versus ICAO codes
IATA codes (three letters) serve the commercial side of aviation: ticketing, baggage, public flight boards and travel agent systems. ICAO codes (four letters) serve the operational side: air traffic control, flight plans and meteorological reports. ICAO codes follow a regional prefix — E for northern Europe, K for the contiguous US, V for parts of Asia — making them less memorable but more structured.
As a traveller you will rarely need ICAO codes. They matter to pilots, dispatchers and aviation enthusiasts. If a flight is delayed and you dig into the reason, you may see an ICAO identifier in the operational notice.
How to use this lookup
Search by any of the code, airport name, city or country. The tool returns matching airports with their IATA code, full name and location. This is useful when you see a code on a ticket and do not recognise it, when you are booking and want to confirm which airport a code refers to, or when a city has multiple airports and you need to identify the right one.
Cities with multiple airports — London (LHR, LGW, STN, LTN), Paris (CDG, ORY), Tokyo (NRT, HND), New York (JFK, LGA, EWR) — are a common source of booking mistakes. Always confirm which airport a code refers to before you book ground transport.
Why the right airport matters
Booking the wrong airport in a multi-airport city is a classic travel error. London Gatwick is 45 km from London Stansted; a 'cheap' flight to the wrong airport can cost more in ground transport than the fare saved. Always check both the city and the specific airport code on your booking, and confirm the terminal — major airports like JFK and Heathrow have multiple terminals that can be 20 minutes apart.
Code confusion also affects connections. A flight labelled 'London' might land at any of several airports; if you have a separate onward booking, confirm the airports match. Self-transfer connections between different London airports are particularly risky.
Beyond the majors
This tool lists the major commercial airports that most travellers use. The full IATA directory runs to many thousands of entries, including small regional airfields, cargo hubs and private strips. For those, the IATA or ICAO official directories are the source of truth, and codes can be assigned to airports with no scheduled passenger service at all.
If you cannot find an airport here, try searching by the nearest major city and then identifying the specific field from the full directory. Most traveller journeys touch only the major airports this tool covers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an IATA code?
An IATA code is the three-letter identifier assigned by the International Air Transport Association to identify an airport uniquely. You see it on baggage tags, boarding passes and flight boards (e.g. LHR for London Heathrow).
What is the difference between IATA and ICAO codes?
IATA codes are three letters used commercially (tickets, baggage, public flight boards). ICAO codes are four letters used for aviation operations and air traffic control (e.g. EGLL for Heathrow). Travellers mostly encounter IATA codes.
Why do some codes not match the city name?
Codes often derive from historical airport names or local geography rather than the current city. New Orleans is MSY (from Moisant Stock Yards); Orlando is MCO (from McCoy Air Force Base). Once assigned, codes rarely change.
Can two airports share a code?
Rarely. IATA codes are intended to be unique, but a few duplicate or shared codes exist, sometimes resolved by context (passenger vs cargo). Most major airports have a globally unique IATA code.
Are all airports listed here?
This tool covers major commercial airports worldwide. Thousands of smaller regional and private airfields exist; for those, consult the full IATA or ICAO directory.
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