From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most airlines employ a distinctive and internationally recognised call sign that is normally spoken during airband radio transmissions as a prefix to the flight number. The flight number is normally then published in their public timetable and appears on the arrivals and departure screens in the airport terminals served by that particular flight. In cases of emergency, the airline name and flight number, rather than the individual aircraft's registration, are normally mentioned by the main news media.

Some call signs are less obviously associated with a particular airline than others. This might be for historic reasons, or possibly to avoid confusion with a call sign used by an established airline.

Not all of these operators of aircraft are civilian and some only operate ad hoc chartered flights rather than scheduled flights; some operate both types of flights. Some cargo airlines specialise in freight transport, an emphasis that may be reflected in the company's name.

Clearly companies' names will change over time, normally due to bankruptcies or mergers occurring. Country names can also change over time and new call signs may be agreed in substitution for traditional ones. The country shown alongside an airline's call sign is that wherein most of its aircraft are believed to be registered, which may not always be the same as the country in which the firm is officially incorporated or registered. There are many other airlines in business whose radio call signs are more obviously derived from the trading name.

The ICAO Telephony designator is a callsign assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization to aircraft operating agencies, aeronautical authorities and services. The callsigns are unique for each operator.

Each aircraft operating agency, aeronautical authority and services related to international aviation is allocated both a three-letter designator and a telephony designator. The designators are listed in ICAO Document 8585.

The callsign should normally resemble the operators name or function and not be confused with callsigns used by other operators. The callsign should be easily and phonetically pronounacable in at least English, French, Spanish or Russian.

An example is:

• Three-letter designator - AAL
• Telephony designator - AMERICAN
• Operator - American Airlines

To find an allocated callsign if the three-letter designator is known then use the appropriate starting letter in the box below.

ICAO airline designator codes beginning:
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

• List of airline call signs
• Aircraft spotting
• Air traffic control

• Searchable database of official ICAO 8585 information
• US FAA regulation on aircraft identification
• US FAA Aircraft Company/Telephony (Call Sign)/Three-Letter Designator (ICAO)
• ICAO ATC Callsigns, a searchable database of current and historic callsigns (caution may be outdated)
• Callsigns and Logos - Aerosite Database
• ICAO website
• Airline ICAO Code Database