Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is the International Air Transport Association (IATA)?
International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world's airlines, representing over 370 airlines that account for some 85% of global air traffic. [1] Its code search is described as an official source for the two-letter airline codes and three-letter airport codes that IATA assigns [2], and it publishes manuals, standards and directories for the air transport industry. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- IATA is the trade association for the world's airlines, representing over 370 airlines that account for some 85% of global air traffic. [1]
- Its public code search is described as an official source for the two-letter airline codes and three-letter airport codes that IATA assigns. [2]
- Beyond codes, IATA publishes manuals, standards and directories, and runs programme areas that include distribution, payment and taxation. [1] [2]
What does IATA do?
IATA describes itself as the trade association for the world's airlines and says it supports many areas of aviation activity and helps formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues. [1] Its stated mission is to represent, lead and serve the airline industry. [1]
Its programme and policy areas span cargo; passenger experience and policy; distribution, payment and taxation; sustainability; safety; operations and infrastructure; aviation security; and an innovation hub. [1] A separate services list covers a travel agency program, a cargo agency program, data solutions, certification, compliance solutions, financial services, consulting and IATA Codes. [1]
The association's public calendar is anchored by its Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, which it lists as having taken place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 6–8 June 2026. [1] On sustainability it carries the Fly Net Zero banner, described as the commitment of airlines to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. [1]
What are IATA airline and airport codes?
Airline and airport codes are short identifiers that let tickets, reservations and back-office messages name an airline or an airport without spelling out the full name. IATA's airline and airport code search engine is described as an official source for codes assigned by IATA, and works in both directions: find the code for an airline or airport, or identify which airline or airport a given code belongs to. [2]
| Code | Identifies | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Airline code | An airline [2] | 2 letters [2] |
| Airport code | An airport [2] | 3 letters [2] |
The same page points to broader reference data on airline, airport and intermodal location codes, held in IATA's Airline, Airport and Location Coding Databases, and lists a separate City Code Directory alongside the code search. [2] A code identifies an airline or an airport; it does not by itself describe a fare or a ticket condition.
Because codes are the shared vocabulary of ticketing and reservations, they sit next to other identifiers a traveller meets on a booking — see airline numeric code, IATA city code, passenger name record (PNR) and global distribution system (GDS).
Which IATA manuals show up in ticketing and baggage?
IATA groups its publications into manuals, standards and regulations; sustainability and economics; directories; newsletters and blogs; an annual review, a safety report and Airlines magazine; and a reseller channel for publications. [1] The code directory page lists related industry documents by name: the Multilateral and Bilateral Interline Traffic Agreements, the City Code Directory (CCD), the Ticketing Handbook, the Reservations Handbook and the Airport Handling Manual. [2]
Distribution is a standing policy area for the association, listed as distribution, payment and taxation [1], and the services list includes the travel agency program and cargo agency program that sit around agency and interline selling. [1] That is the layer in which airline codes, agency accreditation and ticketing documentation meet.
On the passenger side, IATA says it develops standards with its members, international organisations and states to simplify the passenger process, and it names baggage among its work areas — driving innovation in baggage processes, radio-frequency identification (RFID) for tracking, and message standards. [4] The same list includes One ID, common use standards, passenger facilitation, accessibility, consumer issues and unruly passengers. [4] IATA also promotes universal ratification of the Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99), which it describes as benefiting consumers while clarifying airline liability. [4]
Where IATA's role stops
- One code, two carriers. IATA marks codes with an asterisk where they are a "controlled duplicate" — two carriers with the same code that operate different types of non-overlapping services — so a code alone does not always point to a single operator. [2]
- The public search is a lookup aid. It returns two results for an airline query and up to five results per airport query, while fuller airline, airport and intermodal location reference data sits in the separate coding databases. [2]
- Liability sits with the convention, not the code. IATA's role on the Montreal Convention 1999 is to promote universal ratification, with MC99 clarifying airline liability rather than code assignment or manual entries doing so. [4]
- Market scope. IATA's passenger standards are developed with members, international organisations and states [4], and it also publishes policy briefings aimed at European governments [4], so what applies where depends on the standard or market in question.
Frequently asked questions
Is IATA an airline?
No. IATA describes itself as the trade association for the world's airlines, representing over 370 airlines that account for some 85% of global air traffic. [1]
How long are IATA airline and airport codes?
An airline code is two letters and an airport code is three letters, according to IATA's airline and airport code search. [2]
Why do two airlines sometimes share the same IATA code?
Codes marked with an asterisk are "controlled duplicates": two carriers hold the same code but operate different types of non-overlapping services. [2]
How can I check which airline or airport a code belongs to?
IATA's code search is described as an official source for the codes it assigns, and it works both ways — from airline or airport to code, and from code back to the airline or airport. [2]
What is the Montreal Convention's link to IATA?
The Montreal Convention 1999 appears among IATA's passenger policy areas, where IATA says it promotes universal ratification to benefit consumers while clarifying airline liability. [4]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It describes IATA as an organisation and publisher only; it does not cover any individual airline's frequent flyer programme terms, fare rules or contract of carriage, which are set by the airline concerned. Loyalty programme rules are covered on the individual programme pages linked from the glossary.
- IATA — About Us, checked 18 October 2026
- IATA — Airline and Airport Code Search, checked 18 October 2026
- IATA — Passenger Experience and Policy, checked 18 October 2026