What this tool does
This lookup turns a three-letter IATA airport code into a readable airport identity — full name, city, country, and the matching four-letter ICAO code — and works the other way too: type a city or country and see its airports. It runs entirely in your browser against a built-in database of the world’s busiest airports, so there is no network call and no API key.
How it works
IATA assigns each commercial airport a unique three-letter code (LHR, JFK, DXB) used across booking, ticketing, and baggage systems. ICAO assigns a separate four-letter code (EGLL, KJFK, OMDB) used in flight operations and air traffic control, where the leading letters encode the region. The tool indexes each airport by code, name, city, and country, then filters as you type, matching any of those fields case-insensitively.
IATA vs ICAO: key differences at a glance
| Feature | IATA | ICAO |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3 letters | 4 letters |
| Purpose | Commercial: tickets, baggage, booking | Operational: ATC, flight plans, NOTAMs |
| Where you see it | Boarding pass, luggage tag, itinerary | Pilot charts, flight plans, weather reports |
| Example (Heathrow) | LHR | EGLL |
| Example (JFK) | JFK | KJFK |
| Example (Dubai) | DXB | OMDB |
Not every ICAO location has an IATA code (small general-aviation strips have ICAO codes but no IATA), and some IATA codes represent rail stations or helicopter pads rather than airports.
Understanding the ICAO prefix system
ICAO’s first one or two letters identify the region or country, making the code a geographic clue:
- K — Contiguous United States (KLAX = Los Angeles, KJFK = New York JFK)
- EG — United Kingdom (EGLL = Heathrow, EGCC = Manchester)
- EF — Finland, ES — Sweden, EN — Norway, EK — Denmark
- LF — France, LE — Spain, LI — Italy, LD — Croatia
- OM — United Arab Emirates (OMDB = Dubai, OMAA = Abu Dhabi)
- OJ — Jordan, OI — Iran, OE — Saudi Arabia
- VH — Australia, NZ — New Zealand, RJ — Japan
This geographic encoding means that when you receive a 4-letter ICAO code you cannot identify from memory, the leading letters immediately tell you the continent and often the country.
Airport codes vs. city codes
IATA issues both airport codes and city codes. They look similar but represent different things:
- LHR is the airport code for London Heathrow (one specific airport)
- LON is the city code for London (covering LHR, LGW, LCY, STN, LTN, and SEN)
Booking systems typically accept both, but travel data tools and APIs may require the distinction. When in doubt, use the specific airport code to avoid ambiguity.
Tips and notes
Codes are unique per airport, so a three-letter query returns at most one airport. ICAO’s first letters map to regions — a handy sanity check when you have an ICAO code but not the IATA one. This curated set covers major hubs; very small or newly opened airports may not appear.