The Wacky Logic Behind Airport Codes

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Most of you fliers out there are familiar with JFK, LAX and DFW -- the airport codes for New York's Kennedy, Los Angeles International and Dallas-Ft. Worth. But how many of you have flown to SUX?

Yes, SUX - the airport code for Sioux City, Iowa. Luckily, residents there have a sense of humor; instead of bemoaning their unfortunate appellation, they celebrate it: the airport's website sells souvenirs including t-shirts and caps emblazoned with the bold SUX logo.

It could be worse. It appears a kindergartner might have had a hand in picking some of these airport codes: Russia's Bolshoye Savino Airport is stuck with the unlovely designation PEE, while Brazil's Poco De Caldas Airport has to live with POO. Then there's Rotorua, New Zealand ROT while Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base is just plain BAD.

Ever wonder how these codes came into being and what they mean? I'm going to tell you, plus I'll give more examples of truly weird ones. Like FAT and GRR.

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First things first: FAT is the airport code for Fresno, Calif. (and from what I understand, the locals aren't crazy about it); and while GRR may sound like an anger management therapy center, it's actually the code for Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich.

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Where do these codes come from?

The assignment of these codes is administered by the Montreal-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the codes cover locations (mainly airports) around the globe.

A lot of these codes are no brainers: LGA stands for LaGuardia in New York, HOU is for Houston's Hobby Airport and SLC is for Salt Lake City.

History of Airport Codes

But what about, say, LAX -- where did that "X" come from? It goes back to the early days of passenger air travel when airports simply used the same two letter codes that the National Weather Service used for cities, never dreaming they'd ever need more letters for more combinations. When they did, some airports simply added an "X" to their name, and that's why you have LAX or PHX for Phoenix.

But how to explain Chicago O'Hare's ORD? For that I turned to the Sky God -- pilot Dave English. A few years back, he wrote an excellent explanation piece for the Airline Pilots Association journal that tells the story of a now defunct community just west of Chicago called Orchard Place. In the 1940's, it became the site of a military (and later, commercial) airport called Orchard Field, which was renamed for WW II ace Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare, in 1949. However, nobody bothered to change the original "Orchard" code designation of ORD.

Ever wonder why Orlando has the code of MCO? Hint: before it was the gateway to theme parks, it was McCoy Air Force Base.

History buffs might have been able to solve those little mysteries eventually, but try explaining these two Tennessee puzzlers: Nashville's airport code of BNA and Knoxville's TYS designation.

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The "B" in BNA stands for Berry -- Col. Harry Berry, to be precise, who headed the state's Works Progress Administration during the Depression when the airport was built. The facility was named for the colonel in 1937. The "NA" in BNA simply stands for Nashville.