# Airport Codes



## MrFSS (Mar 20, 2015)

*LINK*


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## the_traveler (Mar 20, 2015)

One slight correction to the explanations of the code for PVD. TF Green is not located in Providence, but in Warwick (5-10 miles south). Much the same as the New England Patriots (who play in Foxboro) is not from Boston! Most teams and NFL officials fly into and stay in Providence (about 25-30 miles south) and not Boston (about 40-45 miles north).


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## jis (Mar 20, 2015)

Similarly TLV is not located in Tel Aviv. it is a $40 taxi ride (around 12 miles) away adjacent to the town of Yehud, Or Yehuda, Zafriya and Yagel, off of the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem highway (Route 1) and under development HSR. I was there in February.

This coming week I will be at the following airports:

MCO, IAD, EWR, BOM, CCU.


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## crabby_appleton1950 (Mar 20, 2015)

Being originally from the Pittsburgh, PA area I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see "PIT" for Pittsburgh,

although I more commonly see "Pgh" as an abbreviation for _things Pittsburgh_.


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## AmtrakBlue (Mar 20, 2015)

jis said:


> Similarly TLV is not located in Tel Aviv. it is a $40 taxi ride (around 12 miles) away adjacent to the town of Yehud, Or Yehuda, Zafriya and Yagel, off of the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem highway (Route 1) and under development HSR. I was there in February.
> 
> This coming week I will be at the following airports:
> 
> MCO, IAD, EWR, BOM, CCU.


Hey, I figured all those out. Knew the 1st 3 and guessed the last two (though I didn't their cities new names).

 My airport (only one commercial carrier) is not on the list.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 20, 2015)

Just like Denver's Airport is not in Denver, it's in Kansas right? LOL


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## the_traveler (Mar 20, 2015)

Speaking of Denver, I once saw it when flying over at 30,000 feet. DEN has 5 runways (3 going one direction and 2 going at right angles to those) - but no runway crosses or touches another runway!


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## jis (Mar 20, 2015)

jimhudson said:


> Just like Denver's Airport is not in Denver, it's in Kansas right? LOL


If Ben Gurion Airport were as far from Tel Aviv as Denver International is from Denver downtown, it would probably be in Palestinian West Bank territory! 

Yet Denver International is actually still in Denver apparently!


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## SarahZ (Mar 20, 2015)

Similarly, DTW is approximately 22 miles from Detroit. The airport is actually in Romulus.

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is AZO. It's not too hard to figure that one out.


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## the_traveler (Mar 20, 2015)

Fresno, CA's code makes sense for *F*resno *A*ir *T*erminal (FAT) - but it's cruel.


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## jis (Mar 20, 2015)

Incidentally, Kolkata Airport (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport) CCU is outside Kolkata in an area known as Dum Dum, famous for the Dum Dum bullet an early version of which was produced in the Dum Dum Arsenal, and was banned from use in war, soon thereafter.

First commercial service started through Dum Dum in 1924 by KLM on their Amsterdam - Batavia runs, soon to be followed by British Imperial Airways in 1933 on the London to Australia run, and Orient Airways on their Paris to Saigon run. Emilea Earhart passed through there in 1937. BOAC introduced one of its first all jet service using the ill fated de Haviland Comet I to Dum Dum. One of the mysterious crashes happened to one of those flights, that finally led to the grounding of Comet Is. Indian Airlines introduced the first domestic jet service from Dum Dum using Sud Aviation Caravelles. One of the last major crashes in Dum Dum was that of a Pan Am Boeing 707 on approach to Dum Dum.

During the Second World War what is now the International Airport, was commandeered and was used as an Air Force Base out of which the US Air Force 7th Bombardment Group flew bombing missions over Burma, the 10th Air Force had its Communication Center and supply missions to China were flown over the Hump.

Here is what the new terminal looks like today:


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## JayPea (Mar 20, 2015)

Like FAT, the code for the Sioux Gateway in Sioux City, IA, also makes sense: SUX :lol: Only I don't think that one is cruel! Interestingly, while Spokane International Airport (GEG) not surprisingly made the list, the photo shown for it is actually Felts Field (SFF), a smaller airport five miles northeast of Spokane. Felts Field has not seen regular commercial service since the close of WWII when GEG began service. Felts Field is used for airplane and helicopter sales and service, charter and air cargo service, flight training, and small private aircraft. It is also used as an aircraft maintenance facility.


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## BCL (Mar 20, 2015)

the_traveler said:


> Speaking of Denver, I once saw it when flying over at 30,000 feet. DEN has 5 runways (3 going one direction and 2 going at right angles to those) - but no runway crosses or touches another runway!


DFW has that beat. 7 total runways and none of them touch. Not sure why they need so many. Dubai Airport deals with only two runways and is one of the busiest in the world.


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## BCL (Mar 20, 2015)

Houston also has five that don't touch:


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## XHRTSP (Mar 20, 2015)

BCL said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Speaking of Denver, I once saw it when flying over at 30,000 feet. DEN has 5 runways (3 going one direction and 2 going at right angles to those) - but no runway crosses or touches another runway!
> ...


Actually no that's not as impressive as Denver. Denver can launch and land on all six runways with aircraft not having to cross another runway to get to or from the terminal.


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## railiner (Mar 20, 2015)

Denver International is in Denver....when the city acquired the land, they annexed it and a corridor to reach it. IIRC, its total area is twice the size of Manhattan. So they can easily add more infrastructure in the future, if the need ever arises....


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## BCL (Mar 20, 2015)

XHRTSP said:


> BCL said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


I was only responding to a specific claim. DFW has 7 runways that don't touch. If they wanted to, they could add taxiways to DFW to avoid crossing runways to get to/from the terminals.


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## saxman (Mar 21, 2015)

Here's Chicago's 8 runways, soon to be 9. They are working on a huge development plan to make all the runways parallel and two diagonals.

Dubai might be busy passenger wise, but it's still not as busy as the aircraft movements we see here at DFW, ORD, ATL, etc. Inners are usually for takeoff and outers are usually for landing.


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## rickycourtney (Mar 22, 2015)

the_traveler said:


> Fresno, CA's code makes sense for *F*resno *A*ir *T*erminal (FAT) - but it's cruel.


Fresno lobbied hard a few years back to have the airport code changed, but the requisite regulatory agencies denied the request.
They wanted to become FYI for *F*resno *Y*osemite *I*nternational Airport and since then "FYI" has become a nickname for the airport.

Amtrak's station code for Fresno "FNO" is also somewhat unflattering, but similar to the "F- No" reaction some people have if you ask if they're getting off in Fresno.


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## xyzzy (Mar 22, 2015)

ATL has only 5 but they're all parallel despite the fact that they're labeled 8L, 8R, 9L, 9R, and 10 (looking east). Well, 4 of them have a bearing of 92.9 degrees and the other has a bearing of 92.8, but only a surveyor would care.

Not sure what the worldwide record for all-parallel runways is.


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## railiner (Mar 22, 2015)

LGA does an amazing job of handling many flights with only two relatively short runways that intersect each other, so basically one take off or landing at a time......


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## jis (Mar 23, 2015)

Newark also mostly uses only two runways. But they are long (11,000'). Then again, London Heathrow has only two runways too, as does Hong Kong Chak Lap Kok. In all of these they are parallel runways and, they all handle quite an enormous amount of traffic.


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## Skunky (Mar 23, 2015)

Lga generally uses 1 runway for takeoffs and the other for landing. It's a delicate dance tho and poor visibility will make them drop to just 1 and alternate takeoff and landing. Having been on a near miss in the rain makes ya look stuff up. 

Newark has 2 parallel runways but they're too close together for ILS operations. Meaning that if the weather in NYC stinks 2 of the 3 airports suddenly drop to half capacity. Delays ripple across the country.

Gatwick airport near London is or was the busiest single runway airport in the world last time I looked. Would want to be an air traffic controller there.


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## xyzzy (Mar 23, 2015)

Tokyo Narita (NRT) had only one runway until 2002 -- and the second runway wasn't extended to a length adequate for (some) heavy takeoffs until 2009. The airport was originally designed for five runways, but I doubt that even the third will ever be built now that HND handles a substantial number of international flights.


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## tp49 (Mar 23, 2015)

London-Gatwick gets by with only one runway and is one of the world's busiest.


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## AmtrakBlue (Mar 23, 2015)

Meanwhile, at this busy airport, *no* delays due to a plane getting stuck in the mud. :help: Though passengers had to spend the night in a hotel and will fly out today.

http://6abc.com/news/plane-gets-stuck-in-mud-at-new-castle-airport/569347/

This is "my" airport, though I haven't flown into or out of it since the early 1960's. I was hoping to do a "points run" last year - fly to ATL, get off the plane, stay at that gate and get right back on for trip home. h34r:


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## saxman (Mar 23, 2015)

the_traveler said:


> Speaking of Denver, I once saw it when flying over at 30,000 feet. DEN has 5 runways (3 going one direction and 2 going at right angles to those) - but no runway crosses or touches another runway!


Denver now has six runways. Four north/south and two east/west designed like a pinwheel. Therefore you never have to taxi very far when landing or taking off to get to/from the terminal. Unless under extreme weather. ORD was designed similar with more diagonals, but that has caused problems for obvious reasons. Now if you come from the northwest, you'll get the fun long taxi from the far north runway 27R.


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## tp49 (Mar 23, 2015)

Nothing beats the ridiculously long taxi when landing on runway 18R at AMS.


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## railiner (Mar 24, 2015)

I remember one night I flew Braniff from Denver to Dallas, from the old Stapleton Field....we were sent to runway 17L for takeoff...a very rare occurrence. That was such a long taxi, that our Captain came on the PA after a while and joked with us that, no, we weren't going to taxi all the way to Dallas....


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## Palmetto (Mar 26, 2015)

I've got a trip coming up MIA / IAH / YYC / YVR -the Canadian- YYZ / IAH / MIA.

Here's another anomaly regarding airports: Cincinnati is actually in Covington, KY; hence the code CVG.


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## Palmetto (Mar 26, 2015)

My favorite is GEG - Spokane, WA. I'm sure there's a reason for GEG, but it certainly isn't apparent!!


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## Ryan (Mar 26, 2015)

Palmetto said:


> My favorite is GEG - Spokane, WA. I'm sure there's a reason for GEG, but it certainly isn't apparent!!


http://airportcod.es/#airport/geg


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## twa904 (Mar 26, 2015)

MOB - Mobile, AL

JAN - Jackson, MS

GPT - Gulfport/Biloxi, MS

BTR - Baton Rouge

These didn't make the list.


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## Ryan (Mar 26, 2015)

Looks pretty easy to add one:

http://airportcod.es/#contribute


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## Palmetto (Mar 27, 2015)

RyanS said:


> Palmetto said:
> 
> 
> > My favorite is GEG - Spokane, WA. I'm sure there's a reason for GEG, but it certainly isn't apparent!!
> ...


Thanks, Ryan! Neat website!


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## JayPea (Mar 27, 2015)

I noticed the photo for GEG has changed since my first post on the subject. It now depicts the correct airport.


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## Ryan (Mar 27, 2015)

This would be fun to set up for train stations as well.


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## MrFSS (Mar 27, 2015)

RyanS said:


> This would be fun to set up for train stations as well.


We already did - it was called _*Name This Station*_.


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## PRR 60 (Mar 29, 2015)

There is a (false) urban legend about the origin of the OGG airport code for Kahului, Maui airport. The story was that, prior to the widespread use of airport codes, the baggage handler at the then tiny Maui airport was a fellow named Boggs. When flights would arrive at Honolulu, luggage heading onward to Maui would get a tag that said Boggs, and off they would go. When the official, three-letter IATA codes were introduced, the Maui officials were able to convince the authorities to honor the long-time bag handler by assigning the code OGG to Maui.

That is such a great story, and I actually believed it for many years, but sadly, it's false. The OGG code actually honors a pioneering Hawaiian Islands pilot, Bertram Hogg. Not a bad story, but not as good as naming it for an airport baggage handler.


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