Yeah and we had a real screw up at MIA for a while when we had two carriers with the DF code: Aero Coach, a local commuter carrier, and Condor, the German charter carrier. Eventually they both disappeared from MIA. Jose Prize Fan of confusion In a message dated 8/12/2003 11:09:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, damiross2@xxxxxxxxxxx writes: > Subj: Re: Piedmont/US Air, Request > Date: 8/12/2003 11:09:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time > From: <A HREF="mailto:damiross2@xxxxxxxxxxx";>damiross2@xxxxxxxxxxx</A> > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A> > To: <A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A> > Sent from the Internet > > Not a dumb question. > > There's two codes used for airlines from 3 different organizations - ICAO > (International Civil Aviation Organization) uses 3 letter codes. The IATA > (International Air Transport Association) and ATA (American Transportation > Association) both use 2 character codes. > > The 3 letter codes are used on flight plans and other Air Traffic Control > functions. The 2 character codes are used in airline reservation systems, > timetables, etc. Originally it was 2 letters allowing for up to 676 > combinations. Some combinations, I think, aren't used. Once they ran out > of 2 letter codes, they went to 1 letter/1 number and 1 number/1 letter > codes, allowing for even more combinations. > > An interesting sideline. It is possible for 2 airlines to have the same 2 > letter code, provided the airlines have no possibility of flying in each > other's territories. For example, Uncle Joe's Airline and Garage Door > Company may fly flights with a Cessna 172 in only the state of Arizona while > David's Big Bad Airline flies larger aircraft but flies only in Australia. > The two airlines do not have areas where both companies fly so they could be > assigned the same 2 letter code. > > The plan, at least at one time, was for all airlines to have 3 letter codes > but that seems to be more of a pipe dream. No one wants to change all the > computer programs to accommodate 3 letters. > David R > http://home.attbi.com/~damiross > http://home.attbi.com/~damiross/books.html > >