IATA's location identifiers are 3-letter codes assigned to airports that have commercial activity. These codes can also be given to bus stations, heliports, rail stations, and ferry terminals if they are involved in intermodal airline travel.
What is the IATA code pattern?
IATA airport codes are often based on the first three letters of the airport's city. For example, ATL is the location identifier for the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and MEX is used for Mexico City.
Are IATA codes always 3 letters?
Why are there 3 letter IATA codes for ports and airports?
This system became unmanageable for cities and towns without an NWS identifier, and the use of two letters allowed only a few hundred combinations; a three-letter system of airport codes was implemented. This system allowed for 17,576 permutations, assuming all letters can be used in conjunction with each other.
Can two airlines have same IATA code?
The airlines are generally in different regions. But it does happen since there are only a limited number of two-letter codes available. "After an airline is delisted, IATA can make the code available for reuse after six months and can issue "controlled duplicates".