IATA vs ICAO Aircraft/Airline Codes

[Guest]

When we are using Traffic Tools with such things as the WorldAI10a and such, I am trying my best to make some logical sense out of how we are identifying airports, aircraft, and airlines.I know we are generally using codes that are created by two different industry organizations:IATA--the International Airline Transport AssociationICAO--the International Civil Aviation Organization.But we are not always consistent as to which of these sets of codes we are using.After attempting to cross reference the IATA and ICAO codes for Aircraft and Airlines I find there is a LOT inconsistency and even totally erroneous data.How in the world does the Airline industry put up with this???Or are we really using the correct sets of codes the Airline industry actually uses??I assume these are organizations that often compete for membership and tend to specialize and thus attract one particular segment of the industry over others--say manufacturers vs. airlines vs. airport owners/operators.But who tends to use which set--ICAO or IATA--and why?Which sets of codes are used most often by which industry segments?Can someone in the "real world" tell us what sets are best for us to use in order to be consistent with what is more often actually used in the real world?

[Guest Martin]

I'm certainly no expert, but IATA (International Air Transport Association) has to do with the travel industry. IATA airline and aircraft codes are used for instance when booking tickets etc. (I guess that's why there are IATA codes for buses and trains.)ICAO sets regulations for civil aviation, and the ICAO codes for airlines and aircraft mostly have to do with ATC use.It's hard to say which codes are "correct" or which ones we "should" use when it comes to AI traffic. Some airlines only have an IATA code for example. And IATA codes for aircraft aren't always as specific as ICAO code. (For example the IATA code "737" means any 737 variant, while the ICAO code "B737" means Boeing 737-700.)MartinIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing

[Guest]

For you easy reference, this webpage provide a search for both setting of codes.http://www8.brinkster.com/Aircrafthanger/a...tcodesearch.aspSen

[Guest]

To make it short, IATA codes are used by airlines and travel agents to sell tickets. The codes are generated using the airport name or city name. For example :NYC is used for all New-York airports so that all flights to/from any airport are shown.JFK is used to designate only Kennedy Intl airport so is EWR for Newark and LGA for La Guardia.ICAO codes are used to designate any usable airfield and not only the commercial ones. If you want to find a code for your local airfield where no airline is present, you will only find a ICAO code.As well, you do not have ICAO city codes. These codes are generated using the following key :LFPG - PARIS Charles-de-Gaulle Intl (France)L - Southern Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland)F - France (I for Ialy, E for Spain, I for Italy and S for Switzerland)P - ParisG - De Gaulle (O for Orly, C for Saint-Cyr GA airfield...)Hope this helps..BrgdsFred / SIA France

[Guest]

******************************************>LFPG - PARIS Charles-de-Gaulle Intl (France) >L - Southern Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland) >F - France (I for Ialy, E for Spain, I for Italy and S for >Switzerland) >P - Paris >G - De Gaulle (O for Orly, C for Saint-Cyr GA airfield...) ******************************************Fred,Super good information! Where can I find the background behind that setup, i.e., where is the list of what parts of the world each of these subdivisions represent?Such as: L - Southern Europe and F - France

[Guest]

Thanks Sen for the response. But I was already aware of that site and many more that provide that sort of lookup mode. Fortunately there area also a number of sites that provide the full lists of both ICAO and IATA codes. I even found a couple of sites that attempt to cross reference them.But in nearly all cases, I found a LOT of disagreement and erroneous data.But it was not airport codes that I was particularly interested in. Instead what I was looking for was more for the Aircraft and Airline codes for each.And what I found was that one (ICAO or IATA, I forget which) has a MUCH more complete list of Aircraft Type Codes and the other (ICAO or IATA) has a MUCH more complete list of Airline codes.But still with both there was again a LOT of disagreement and erroneous data.So, my original question remains: Which sets of codes (specifically for Aircraft and Airlines) are used more often by which portions of the real world industry?