What you enter stays on your device while you use this tool. Opening a shared link sends the settings in its address to HowToolbox to prepare the page.
For example AY, FIN, Speedbird or Lufthansa
Airline
Type a code, call sign or name
- IATA designator
- ICAO designator
- Call sign
- Country
- Status
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Find any airline by its IATA or ICAO code, radio call sign or name: both codes, call sign, country and whether it still flies.
How to use
- Type a two-character code from a ticket or flight number (BA in BA 0815), a three-letter code from a flight tracker (BAW), a call sign heard on the radio (Speedbird) or the airline's name.
- Show only current or only defunct airlines if you like.
- Select a row to see its codes, call sign and country, and copy what you need.
How it works
Airlines have two codes and a spoken name. The two-character IATA designator (AY, BA, 9W) is the one passengers see: it starts every flight number and booking. The International Air Transport Association assigns it under its Resolution 762. The three-letter ICAO designator (FIN, BAW) is used in flight plans, by air traffic control and on flight trackers; the International Civil Aviation Organization lists them in its Doc 8585. A flight sold as BA 815 is filed and tracked as BAW815.
On the radio, the ICAO designator is spoken as a call sign: a word that is easy to say and hard to mishear. Some match the name (FINNAIR, LUFTHANSA), others are history, such as British Airways' SPEEDBIRD from its predecessor BOAC, or Aer Lingus' SHAMROCK. So "Speedbird 815, climb to flight level 100" is the controller talking to BAW815.
Codes are reused. When an airline stops flying, its IATA code can go to another airline, so the same two characters can mean different airlines in different years. The tool lists current airlines first and marks defunct ones. The list comes from Wikidata, the free knowledge base anyone can edit (CC0), and holds about 3 200 airlines and operators. It is a guide, not the official IATA or ICAO register, and not for flight planning.
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Frequently asked questions
Which airline is Speedbird?
British Airways: IATA code BA, ICAO code BAW. The call sign comes from BOAC, one of the airlines British Airways was formed from, and from the speedbird emblem BOAC flew under.
What is the difference between IATA and ICAO airline codes?
The IATA code has two characters and appears in flight numbers and on tickets (AY 123). The ICAO code has three letters and is used in flight plans, by air traffic control and on flight trackers (FIN123).
Why does a flight tracker show a different flight number from my ticket?
Trackers usually show the ICAO form: the three-letter ICAO code plus the number (FIN123), while the ticket uses the two-character IATA code (AY 123). Codeshare flights also carry other airlines' numbers, but only the operating airline's code is filed.
Why are some codes listed twice?
An airline that stopped flying may have used the same code before. The current holder comes first; the defunct airline is marked so.
Is this the official list?
No. IATA sells its official designator list, and ICAO publishes Doc 8585. This tool uses Wikidata, which is free and usually accurate but edited by volunteers, so check the airline's own site when it matters.
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