IATA Code
The two-letter airline codes (BA, LH, QR) and three-letter airport codes (LHR, AMS, DXB) that identify every carrier and airport in the world.
What is an IATA code?
IATA codes are standardised short codes assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to identify airlines, airports, and other entities in the aviation industry. There are two types: two-letter airline designator codes (British Airways = BA, Lufthansa = LH, Qatar Airways = QR, Ryanair = FR, easyJet = U2) and three-letter airport codes (London Heathrow = London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol = Amsterdam, Dubai = DXB, Tokyo Narita = NRT, Paris Paris CDG = Paris CDG).
Every flight in the world is identified by its airline's two-letter code followed by a flight number. BA2156, LH400, QR1 — these are IATA flight designators. Every airline ticket, boarding pass, booking confirmation, and luggage tag in the world uses IATA codes. They are the universal language of aviation.
Why three letters for airports?
Airport codes evolved from an earlier two-letter weather station coding system used by the US National Weather Service. As aviation grew, IATA expanded to three letters to accommodate more airports globally. Most codes have a logical connection to the airport name or city (London Heathrow = London Heathrow, Paris CDG = Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam = Amsterdam, SYD = Sydney), but many are historical artefacts — LAX was a weather station code, not a reference to Los Angeles.
Confusingly, some cities have multiple airports with different codes: London has London Heathrow (Heathrow), London Gatwick (Gatwick), London Stansted (Stansted), LTN (Luton), and LCY (City). Paris has Paris CDG (Charles de Gaulle) and Paris Orly (Orly). When searching for flights, always double-check which airport code is being used to avoid booking the wrong one.
ICAO vs IATA codes
Airlines and airports also have ICAO codes — four-letter codes used in air traffic control and official aviation communications. Heathrow is EGLL, Amsterdam is EHAM, Frankfurt is EDDF. Passengers rarely encounter ICAO codes in booking systems, but they appear in flight tracking services and pilot communications.
FairFares uses IATA codes throughout its search and deal display systems. When you enter a departure city or destination, use the three-letter IATA airport code for precision — especially for cities with multiple airports.