# Counterintuitive Airport Codes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539 "2009-02-26T18:39:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/21 "2009-02-27T00:03:12Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > All of the Canadian Airport codes are nonsensical: > > YYZ (Toronto) > YUL (Montreal) > YYG (Charlottetown) > YYC (Calgary, slightly more logical than the rest) > YYT (St Johns) > YVR (Vancouver, again easier to guess) > YEG (Edmonton) > YHM (Hamilton; Munroe Airport, guessable) > YHZ (Halifax) > > I don’t remember any more offhand! I’m kind of impressed I’ve gotten this many on my own! hehe YSB is Sudbury YFB is Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay) YOW is Ottawa YQB is Québec YSJ is Saint John, NB YTS is Timmins YHU is St-Hubert YWG is Winnipeg YLT is Alert YGP is Gaspé YBG is Bagotville YMM is Fort McMurray YKA is Kamloops … So they’re not all that bad. Some of them are totally nonintuitive, obviously. 🙂 - wolfstu, who mostly flies from \_ . \_ \_ / \_ . \_ \_ / \_ . . . ---
**Author:** ![TJVM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@TJVM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJVM)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/22 "2009-02-27T00:04:19Z")
I couldn’t find any explanation for Toronto’s YYZ code, but I did learn that, according to [this page](http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html), the Rush song “YYZ” is taken from that airport code (Rush is from Toronto). ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/23 "2009-02-27T00:16:43Z")
Niigata Airport (_Niigata Kuukou_), is listed as KIJ. I have heard a few different reasons for this, but none of them have really seemed like anything more than WAGs. ETA: The only part of the code I am pretty certain about is that the J is short for Japan. The final J seems to be fairly popular among regional airports in Japan. KagOshima Airport is KOJ and HIroshima Airport is HIJ. This thread has prompted me to email the airport staff and ask them for the final word. Here’s hoping they’ll have something to tell me soon. Also, Port Columbus International’s code is CMH, which is not totally counterintuitive, as it does have a C and an M. The code actually comes from an older name for the airport, which was Columbus Metropolitan Hangar. Several of my friends from the area refer to the entire city as CMH in internet shorthand, which I’ve always considered rather obnoxious. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/24 "2009-02-27T00:31:38Z")
Oh, I just thought of another one: Chubu Centrair International Airport (_Chubu Kokusai Kuukou_) has the code NGO which is again a throwback. The airport replaced NaGOya Airport when it opened a few years ago. I don’t know if this really counts, though, because you can still at least guess the location by the name and I still hear plenty of people refer to Chubu Centrair Int’l as Nagoya Int’l. ---
**Author:** ![MarkofT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MarkofT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkofT)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/25 "2009-02-27T02:38:21Z")
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is MSY. It was previously known as Moisant Field but that isn’t the origin of the code. It is named after the previous tenant of the property, the Moisant Stock Yards. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/26 "2009-02-27T03:07:17Z")
Spokane International Airport (Spokane, WA) - **GEG** 😕 ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/27 "2009-02-27T03:38:46Z")
I came into this thread to suggest ORD, but your OP beat me to it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/28 "2009-02-27T03:54:09Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > I came into this thread to suggest ORD, but your OP beat me to it. > > :rolleyes: Right on, Bubba! Excellent post! ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/29 "2009-02-27T04:20:58Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > Spokane International Airport (Spokane, WA) - **GEG** 😕 Used to be known as Gieger Field. [Spokane Airport - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokane_Airport) I used to have a page bookmarked that had a explanations of many of them, but I lost the bookmark and wasn’t able to locate it via google-fu. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/30 "2009-02-27T04:23:49Z")
This seems to be germane to this thread. It’s a general explanation about airport identifiers, with some explanations included: [http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html](http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html) ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/31 "2009-02-27T04:27:39Z")
Just found these articles that explain some of them: [http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0505/what\_airport\_codes\_mean.html](http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0505/what_airport_codes_mean.html) [http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html](http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html) addtl: Rocket Surgery just beat me to the punch. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/32 "2009-02-27T04:34:10Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Right on, Bubba! Excellent post! I detect…sarcasm. WHYYY??? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/33 "2009-02-27T14:12:08Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > I detect…sarcasm. WHYYY??? You detect wrongly. That was sincere praise. One of the funniest posts of the day for me. Not quite as funny as another I had already anointed as Post of the Day in another thread. So I had to use another way to let you know I enjoyed your humor. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/34 "2009-02-27T14:47:43Z")
> [@uncle\_squeegee](#): > > Just found these articles that explain some of them: > [http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0505/what\_airport\_codes\_mean.html](http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0505/what_airport_codes_mean.html) > [Airport Codes, Identifiers, and Abbreviations](http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html) > > addtl: Rocket Surgery just beat me to the punch. Actually, both of you were stealthed out by **TJVM** in post 22 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/35 "2009-02-27T14:59:53Z")
Saskatoon is YXE, but I have no idea why. Regina is YQR, which is understandable (Queen Regina) ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/36 "2009-02-27T15:34:22Z")
Williamsport, PA’s airport has a code of IPT. Not WPT, IPT. I’m guessing WPT was already taken by someone else. ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/37 "2009-02-27T17:26:01Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > Saskatoon is YXE, but I have no idea why. > > Regina is YQR, which is understandable (Queen Regina) Except that there was never a person named “Queen Regina”, and it’s a phrase I can’t imagine appearing in any other context – even if ‘Regina’ is Latin for ‘Queen’. More likely the R has significance, but the rest of it comes from being named as part of [this series](http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/06airfields/ICAO-AD.htm): ```auto CYQA Muskoka CYQB Quebec Jean Lesage Intl CYQD The Pas CYQF Red Deer Industrial CYQG Windsor CYQH Watson Lake CYQI Yarmouth CYQK Kenora CYQL Lethbridge CYQM Moncton CYQN Nakina CYQQ Comox CYQR Regina CYQS St Thomas Muni CYQT Thunder Bay CYQU Grand Prairie CYQV Yorkton CYQW North Battleford CYQX Gander CYQY Sydney CYQZ Quesnel ``` ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/38 "2009-02-27T19:44:51Z")
Reagan National, formaerly Washington National, is DCA. This is recognizable, although it’s never had “DC” in its name. Washington Dulles International is IAD, which maybe means International Airport, Dulles. I think Houston’s main airport is IAH, which maybe follows the same pattern. The airport in Newark NJ is EWR, IIRC. Why LAX and SFO, instead of LAO and SFX? ---
**Author:** ![Nuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea666f/32.png) [@Nuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nuke)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/39 "2009-02-27T20:09:46Z")
CID Cedar Rapids Iowa airport ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539/40 "2009-02-27T20:43:15Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Reagan National, formaerly Washington National, is DCA. This is recognizable, although it’s never had “DC” in its name. Washington Dulles International is IAD, which maybe means International Airport, Dulles. I think Houston’s main airport is IAH, which maybe follows the same pattern. > > The airport in Newark NJ is EWR, IIRC. > > Why LAX and SFO, instead of LAO and SFX? LAX was previously known as LA when two letter codes were used. When the transition to three letter codes was made, they tacked an X on to the end. See also: PDX. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterintuitive-airport-codes/487539.md?page=3)