How ICAO Codes Work
Unlike three-letter IATA codes designed for passengers and ticketing, ICAO codes are four characters long and follow a geographic structure. The first letter (or first two letters) indicates the world region or country.
Regional Prefixes
| Prefix | Region / Country | Example |
|---|---|---|
| K | Contiguous United States | KJFK, KLAX, KORD |
| C | Canada | CYYZ, CYVR, CYUL |
| EG | United Kingdom | EGLL, EGKK, EGCC |
| LF | France | LFPG, LFPO, LFMN |
| ED | Germany (civil) | EDDF, EDDM, EDDB |
| LE | Spain | LEMD, LEBL, LEPA |
| LI | Italy | LIRF, LIMC, LIPZ |
| RJ | Japan (mainland) | RJTT, RJAA, RJBB |
| Z | China (mainland) | ZBAA, ZSPD, ZGGG |
| VH | Hong Kong | VHHH |
| WS | Singapore | WSSS |
| Y | Australia | YSSY, YMML, YBBN |
| FA | South Africa | FAOR, FACT, FALE |
| SB | Brazil | SBGR, SBGL, SBSP |
| UA | Kazakhstan | UAAA, UACC |
| U | Russia (main regions) | UUEE, ULLI, UUDD |
| DA | Algeria | DAAG, DAOO, DABB |
| HE | Egypt | HECA, HEGN, HESH |
| OE | Saudi Arabia | OEJN, OERK, OEDF |
| OI | Iran | OIIE, OISS, OIII |
| WI | Indonesia | WIII, WARR, WIMM |
| VT | Thailand | VTBS, VTBD, VTSP |
ICAO vs. IATA Codes
| Feature | ICAO | IATA |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4 characters | 3 characters |
| Purpose | Aviation operations, ATC, weather | Ticketing, passenger-facing |
| Structure | Geographic (region-based) | No systematic pattern |
| Example (London) | EGLL | LHR |
| Coverage | All airports, heliports | Commercial airports only |
| Used in | METAR, TAF, NOTAMs, flight plans | Boarding passes, baggage tags |
Quick Tip
Not all airports have IATA codes, but virtually all have ICAO codes. Use ICAO codes when searching for weather data, NOTAMs, or filing flight plans.Browse Airport Directories by Country
CavokSky maintains a comprehensive directory of airports organized by country, with ICAO codes, IATA codes, runway data, and more. Visit our United States, United Kingdom, France, or Germany airport directories to explore.