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Why can one airport have two different codes?

The airport code on a ticket and the code used in flight operations belong to different systems. IATA assigns three-letter location identifiers, while ICAO uses four-letter codes for operational purposes. A code is an identifier, so recognizing its system matters more than assuming its letters spell a familiar name.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Could a location code identify a city or a train connection rather than a single airport?

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Why can one airport have two different codes? | Speech Topic | speaking.app