Airport codes, IATA and ICAOAirport codes: IATA vs ICAO, with a cargo list.
Airport codes come in two kinds: three-letter IATA codes such as DXB, used on tickets and air waybills, and four-letter ICAO codes such as OMDB, used by air traffic control. Airlift Logistics, a freight forwarder in Dubai, explains the difference, how the codes appear on cargo documents, and lists 28 airports on Dubai freight lanes, from DXB and DWC to Hong Kong, Frankfurt and Nairobi.
IATA vs ICAO codes
Both identify an airport, but they are used by different people.
| Point | IATA code | ICAO code |
|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | 4 letters | |
| Example for Dubai International | DXB | OMDB |
| International Air Transport Association | International Civil Aviation Organization | |
| Used for | Tickets, air waybills, baggage, booking | Air traffic control, flight plans, navigation |
| Structure | Not tied to location | First letters show the region and country |
| Seen on cargo documents | Yes, in the airport of departure and destination boxes | Rarely |
Airports on Dubai lanes
Codes for 28 airports that handle freight to and from Dubai. Click Dubai International or Al Maktoum for the details.
| Airport | City and country | IATA | ICAO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai, UAE | DXB | OMDB | |
| Dubai South, UAE | DWC | OMDW | |
| Zayed International | Abu Dhabi, UAE | AUH | OMAA |
| Sharjah International | Sharjah, UAE | SHJ | OMSJ |
| Hamad International | Doha, Qatar | DOH | OTHH |
| King Khalid International | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | RUH | OERK |
| King Abdulaziz International | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | JED | OEJN |
| King Fahd International | Dammam, Saudi Arabia | DMM | OEDF |
| Bahrain International | Manama, Bahrain | BAH | OBBI |
| Kuwait International | Kuwait City, Kuwait | KWI | OKBK |
| Muscat International | Muscat, Oman | MCT | OOMS |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International | Mumbai, India | BOM | VABB |
| Indira Gandhi International | Delhi, India | DEL | VIDP |
| Jinnah International | Karachi, Pakistan | KHI | OPKC |
| Cairo International | Cairo, Egypt | CAI | HECA |
| Istanbul Airport | Istanbul, Turkey | IST | LTFM |
| Heathrow | London, UK | LHR | EGLL |
| Frankfurt | Frankfurt, Germany | FRA | EDDF |
| Schiphol | Amsterdam, Netherlands | AMS | EHAM |
| Charles de Gaulle | Paris, France | CDG | LFPG |
| John F. Kennedy International | New York, USA | JFK | KJFK |
| O'Hare International | Chicago, USA | ORD | KORD |
| Hong Kong International | Hong Kong | HKG | VHHH |
| Shanghai Pudong International | Shanghai, China | PVG | ZSPD |
| Guangzhou Baiyun International | Guangzhou, China | CAN | ZGGG |
| Singapore Changi | Singapore | SIN | WSSS |
| Jomo Kenyatta International | Nairobi, Kenya | NBO | HKJK |
| O. R. Tambo International | Johannesburg, South Africa | JNB | FAOR |
| Murtala Muhammed International | Lagos, Nigeria | LOS | DNMM |
Using codes on cargo documents
Codes keep shipping documents short and exact. Mistakes route cargo to the wrong place.
- 01
Air waybill boxes
Write the IATA codes in the airport of departure and destination boxes, for example DXB to LHR.
- 02
Some cities have a city code covering several airports. Always book to the airport code.
- 03
Seaports use five-character UN/LOCODE codes, such as AEJEA for Jebel Ali.
IATA codes have three letters, such as DXB, and appear on cargo documents. ICAO codes have four letters, such as OMDB, and are used by air traffic control. They also show the region. Cargo paperwork, such as an air waybill, uses the IATA code.
- IATA is for booking.
- ICAO is for flight operations.
No, they are two airports. Dubai International is DXB, ICAO OMDB. Al Maktoum International, in Dubai South, is DWC, ICAO OMDW. Both handle cargo. DXB serves passenger and belly cargo flights, and DWC handles many freighters. Check which airport your flight uses when you book.
- Abu Dhabi is AUH.
- Sharjah is SHJ.
The three-letter IATA code. The air waybill has boxes for the airport of departure and the airport of destination, so a shipment from Dubai to London Heathrow is shown as DXB to LHR. Use the airport code and not the city code.
- City codes can cover several airports.
- Check the code with your forwarder.
UN/LOCODE. It is a five-character code of a country code and a location code. Jebel Ali is AEJEA and Khalifa Port is AEKHL. These codes appear on bills of lading and shipping line bookings, while airports use their own three-letter IATA codes.
- Airports use IATA codes.
- The same city can have both.