Then there's the trendy HIP, which is attached to an outfit called Starship. Then there's NPR, which has nothing to do with public radio and, all things considered, doesn't really sound much like New Zealand's Air Napier either. Although the code AWW sounds like something you'd expect to see on the DogShaming website, it's the code for Air Wales. But it's actually assigned to Fly Europa Limited.

Really scary codes: TAX (TravelAir) and FEE and you're forgiven if you thought that last one was code for Spirit Airlines. Some of these codes sound like a party: FUN (Funtshi Aviation Service) FAB (First Air), EZY (the discount carrier EasyJet) and AHH (an Irish company called Airplanes Holdings).Īnd some codes sound scary: BOO (Bookajet Limited) GRR (Agroar-Trabalhos Aereos), and the truly unsettling DOA (assigned to a Dominican Republic airline that has been out of business for years). I was hoping POE had some connection to the Baltimore Ravens but unless they moved north when I wasn't looking, there is no link because it's the code for Canada's Porter Airlines.Īnd since we're also close to Valentine's Day, how about BOI meets GRL? That's Manila's former carrier Aboitiz Air and Air Greenland, respectively. Seeing as how it's Super Bowl time, how about the code NFL? That stands for Michigan's Northaire Freight Lines. Then there's IRK (Iran's Kish Air), and KFC, although I'm sure there are no chickens at the Ukraine's Kremenchuk Flight College.

Some of my favorite ICAO designees are ACK, which reminds me of a cat getting rid of a hairball but is actually the code for Massachusetts' Nantucket Airlines. The list includes current carriers and those from by-gone eras, which is why you won't hear WTF in a control tower today (unless, of course, things get particularly exciting). These codes are designated by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and are assigned to both airlines and 'aircraft-operating agencies,' which explains BAM and POW. Much more fun are the three letter codes like WOW used by air traffic controllers and pilots. Such bland and boring codes are doled out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for use in reservations and ticketing. Most of us are familiar with the two-letter airline codes seen on plane tickets and bag tags: AA for American or DL for Delta.

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