EVER wondered just what those three letter airport codes actually mean?
A pair of friends in the USA were puzzled by the series of letters and developed a website, Airport Codes, dedicated solely to revealing the mysteries behind them.
Today the codes are called International Air Transport Association Airport Codes (IATA). They came about because pilots in the USA found the National Weather System’s two letter codes inadequate to identify all airports.
Wonder where that random ‘X’ came from, or the letter ‘O’? Here are some of the more bizarre airport codes explained.
YVR Vancouver, Canada.
Canadian airport codes start with a “Y”, which is why Vancouver has one before the more predictable VR.
PVG Shanghai, China
Shanghai Pudong International airport opened in 1999. Its airport code comes from the Shanghai district of Pudong with a filler ‘V’ replacing the ‘U’ to get PVG.
EWR Newark, USA
Newark airport is called EWR because the Navy reserved all the codes that begin with ‘N’
PDX Portland, USA
Some airports placed an X to the end when codes changed from two to three letters. Other airports use X when their desired letter has already been taken.
Portland airport started as PD, then added X whereas Chiang Mai airport in Thailand chose CNX as its code was already taken.
Some airports add other letters. For example San Francisco airport code is SFO.
PEK Beijing, China
Sometimes airport codes are historical artefacts. PEK refers to an older, English name used for Beijing, Peking. Similarly, Mumbai’s airport code is BOM, a reference to its former English name, Bombay.
ORD Chicago, USA
Before the airport was renamed after Medal of Honour recipient Edward O’Hare in 1949, it was known as Orchard Field Airport
DCA Washington, USA
In 1998, Washington National Airport was renamed to honour former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Its airport code honours its home in District of Columbia.
TSE Astana, Kazakhstan
Astana International is located in Astana, which became the capital city of Kazakhstan in 1997. In 1963 when the airport opened, Astana was named Tselinograd.
XRY Jerez, Spain
Jerez Airport serves the city of Jerez, famous for the fortified wine and sherry. Its airport code likely comes from a combination of an alternate spelling of Jerez, XeRes, and the English spelling, Sherry.
