Airline codes-B
A list of all airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators, the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator). Historical assignments are also included for completeness.
| Airline codes for airlines beginning with: |
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IATA airline designator
IATA airline designators, sometimes called IATA reservation codes, are two-character codes assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to the world's airlines in accordance with the provisions of IATA Resolution 762. They form the first two characters of the flight number.
Designators are used to identify an airline for all commercial purposes, including reservations, timetables, tickets, tariffs, air waybills, and in airline interline telecommunications. There are three types of designator: unique, alphanumeric, and controlled duplicate.
IATA maintains two policies to deal with the limited number of available codes:
- After an airline is delisted, the code becomes available for reuse after six months.
- IATA issues "controlled duplicates".
Controlled duplicates are issued to regional airlines whose destinations are not likely to overlap, in such a way that the same code would be shared by two different airlines. The controlled duplicate is denoted here with an asterisk (*) following the code and in IATA literature as well.
ICAO airline designator
The ICAO airline designator is a code assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization to aircraft operating agencies, aeronautical authorities, and services. The codes are unique by airline which is not true for the IATA airline designator codes.
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: Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services. The ICAO codes originally based on a two-letter-system and were identical to the airline codes used by IATA. After an airline joined IATA its existing ICAO-two-letter-code was taken over as IATA code. So in the 1970s the abbreviation BA was the ICAO code and the IATA code of British Airways while non-IATA-airlines like Court Line used their 2-letter-abbreviation as ICAO code only. In the early 1980s ICAO introduced the current three-letter-system due to the increasing number of airlines. It became the official new standard system in November 1987.
An example is:
- Operator: American Airlines
- Three-letter-ICAO-designator: AAL (the original ICAO-two-letter-designator AA was used until 1987 and is also the IATA code of the airline)
Certain combinations of letters are not allocated to avoid confusion with other systems (for example SOS). Other designators (particularly those starting with Y and Z) are reserved for government organizations.
Designator YYY is used for operators that do not have a code allocated.
Call signs
Most airlines employ a distinctive and internationally recognized 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 specialize in freight transport, an emphasis that may be reflected in the company's name.
Companies' assigned names may change over time as a result of mergers, acquisitions, or change in company name or status. 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 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 pronounceable in at least English, French, Spanish or Russian.
Codes
| IATA | ICAO | Airline | Call sign | Country | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBF | B-Air Charter | SPEEDCHARTER | Germany | 2014[1] | |
| OUF | Beijing Eofa International Jet | China | 2014[1] | ||
| OTA | Business Aviators | OUTLAW | United States | 2014[1] | |
| BWD | Bluewest Helicopters-Greenland | BLUEWEST | Denmark | ||
| TBL | Bell Aliant Regional Communications | TELCO | Canada | ||
| CWR | Beijing City International Jet | CITY WORLD | China | ||
| BJV | Beijing Vistajet Aviation | BEIJING VISTA | China | ||
| BHK | Blu Halkin | BLUEHAKIN | United Kingdom | ||
| BXJ | Brixtel Group | BRIXTEL JET | United States | ||
| BYG | Bygone Aviation | BYGONE | United States | ||
| BOB | Backbone A/S | BACKBONE | Denmark | ||
| BTK | Batik Air Indonesia | BATIK | Indonesia | ||
| BBJ | Blue Air Lines | BLUE KOREA | South Korea | ||
| BCJ | Blue Jet Charters | BLUE BOY | Poland | ||
| BNA | Bun Air Corporation | BUN AIR | United States | ||
| PVO | Bearing Supplies Limited | PROVOST | United Kingdom | ||
| BAA | Balkan Agro Aviation | BALKAN AGRO | Bulgaria | ||
| BAB | Bahrain Air BSC (Closed) | AWAL | Bahrain | ||
| BAC | BAC Leasing Limited | United Kingdom | |||
| BAE | BAE Systems | FELIX | United Kingdom | Corporate Air Travel | |
| BAF | Belgian Air Force | BELGIAN AIRFORCE | Belgium | ||
| 8Q* | BAJ | Baker Aviation | RODEO | United States | |
| BAK | Blackhawk Airways | BLACKHAWK | United States | ||
| BAL | Belle Air Europe | BELLEAIR EUROPE | Italy | Previously Britannia Airways | |
| BAL | Britannia Airways | BRITANNIA | United Kingdom | Defunct | |
| BAM | Business Air Services | BUSINESS AIR | Canada | ||
| BAN | British Antarctic Survey | PENGUIN | United Kingdom | ||
| BAR | Bradly Air (Charter) Services | BRADLEY | Canada | ||
| BAU | Bissau Airlines | AIR BISSAU | Guinea-Bissau | ||
| BAV | Bay Aviation Ltd | BAY AIR | Bangladesh | ||
| BA | BAW | British Airways | SPEEDBIRD | United Kingdom | |
| BAX | Best Aero Handling Ltd | Russia | |||
| BAY | Bayon Airlines | BAYON | Cambodia | ||
| BBA | Bannert Air | BANAIR | Austria | ||
| BG | BBC | Biman Bangladesh Airlines | BANGLADESH | Bangladesh | |
| BF | BBD | Bluebird Cargo | BLUE CARGO | Iceland | |
| BBS | Beibars CJSC | BEIBARS | Kazakhstan | ||
| BBV | Bravo Airlines | BRAVO EUROPE | Spain | ||
| BBZ | Bluebird Aviation | COBRA | Kenya | ||
| B4 | BCF | BACH Flugbetriebsges | BACH | Austria | |
| BCI | Blue Islands | BLUE ISLAND | United Kingdom | ||
| BCL | British Caribbean Airways | United Kingdom | defunct | ||
| BCR | British Charter | BACKER | United Kingdom | ||
| BCT | BCT Aviation | BOBCAT | United Kingdom | ||
| BCV | Business Aviation Center | BUSINESS AVIATION | Ukraine | ||
| WX | BCY | CityJet | CITY JET | Ireland | |
| BZ | BDA | Blue Dart Aviation | BLUE DART | India | |
| JA | BON | B&H Airlines | Air Bosna | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| BDF | Bissau Discovery Flying Club | BISSAU DISCOVERY | Guinea-Bissau | ||
| AYB | Belgian Army | BELGIAN ARMY | Belgium | ||
| BDR | Badr Airlines | BADR AIR | Sudan | ||
| BEA | Best Aviation Ltd | BEST AIR | Bangladesh | ||
| BED | Belgorod Aviation Enterprise | BELOGORYE | Russia | ||
| AJC | Bar Harbor Airlines | BAR HARBOR | United States | ||
| BEF | Balear Express | BALEAR EXPRESS | Spain | ||
| BEH | Bel Air Helicopters | BLUECOPTER | Denmark | ||
| BEK | Berkut Air | BERKUT | Kazakhstan | ||
| BET | BETA - Brazilian Express Transportes Aéreos | BETA CARGO | Brazil | ||
| BFC | Basler Flight Service | BASLER | United States | ||
| BFG | Bear Flight | BEARFLIGHT | Sweden | ||
| J4 | BFL | Buffalo Airways | BUFFALO | Canada | |
| BFO | Bombardier | BOMBARDIER | Canada | ||
| BFR | Burkina Airlines | BURKLINES | Burkina Faso | ||
| BFS | Business Flight Sweden | BUSINESS FLIGHT | Sweden | ||
| BFW | Bahrain Defence Force | SUMMAN | Bahrain | ||
| BGH | BH Air | BALKAN HOLIDAYS | Bulgaria | ||
| BGI | British Gulf International | BRITISH GULF | São Tomé and Príncipe | ||
| BGK | British Gulf International-Fez | GULF INTER | Kyrgyzstan | ||
| A8 | BGL | Benin Golf Air | BENIN GOLF | Benin | |
| BGM | Bugulma Air Enterprise | BUGAVIA | Russia | ||
| BGR | Budget Air Bangladesh | BUDGET AIR | Bangladesh | ||
| BGT | Bergen Air Transport | BERGEN AIR | Norway | ||
| BHA | Buddha Air | BUDDHA AIR | Nepal | ||
| BHI | Balkh Airlines | SHARIF | Afghanistan | ||
| BHL | Bristow Helicopters | BRISTOW | United Kingdom | ||
| BHN | Bristow Helicopters Nigeria | BRISTOW HELICOPTERS | Nigeria | ||
| BHO | Bhoja Airlines | BHOJA | Pakistan | ||
| 4T | BHP | Belair Airlines | BELAIR | Switzerland | |
| BHR | Bighorn Airways | BIGHORN AIR | United States | ||
| UP | BHS | Bahamasair | BAHAMAS | Bahamas | |
| BHT | Bright Air | BRIGHTAIR | Netherlands | ||
| E6 | Bringer Air Cargo Taxi Aéreo | Brazil | |||
| LZ | Balkan Bulgarian Airlines | Bulgaria | defunct | ||
| TH | BA Connect | United Kingdom | |||
| BHY | Bosphorus European Airways | BOSPHORUS | Turkey | ||
| BID | Binair | BINAIR | Germany | ||
| BIG | Big Island Air | BIG ISLE | United States | ||
| BS | BIH | British International Helicopters | BRINTEL | United Kingdom | |
| BIL | Billund Air Center | BILAIR | Denmark | ||
| BIN | Boise Interagency Fire Center | BISON-AIR | United States | ||
| BIO | Bioflight A/S | BIOFLIGHT | Denmark | ||
| BIR | Bird Leasing | BIRD AIR | United States | ||
| BIZ | Bizjet Ltd | BIZZ | United Kingdom | ||
| BJA | Baja Air | BAJA AIR | Mexico | ||
| BJC | Baltic Jet Aircompany | BALTIC JET | Latvia | ||
| BJS | Business Jet Solutions | SOLUTION | United States | ||
| B4 | BKA | Bankair | BANKAIR | United States | |
| BKF | BF-Lento OY | BAKERFLIGHT | Finland | ||
| BKK | Blink | BLINKAIR | United Kingdom | ||
| BKJ | Barken International | BARKEN JET | United States | ||
| PG | BKP | Bangkok Airways | BANGKOK AIR | Thailand | |
| BKV | Bukovyna | BUKOVYNA | Ukraine | ||
| BLB | Blue Bird Aviation | BLUEBIRD SUDAN | Sudan | ||
| BLC | Bellesavia | BELLESAVIA | Belarus | ||
| BLE | Blue Line | BLUE BERRY | France | ||
| KF | BLF | Blue1 | BLUEFIN | Finland | |
| BLG | Belgavia | BELGAVIA | Belgium | ||
| BLH | Blue Horizon Travel Club | BLUE HORIZON | United States | ||
| BLJ | Blue Jet | BLUEWAY | Spain | ||
| BLL | Baltic Airlines | BALTIC AIRLINES | Russia | ||
| BLN | Bali International Air Service | BIAR | Indonesia | ||
| JV | BLS | Bearskin Lake Air Service | BEARSKIN | Canada | |
| BLT | Baltic Aviation | BALTAIR | United States | ||
| B3 | BLV | Bellview Airlines | BELLVIEW AIRLINES | Nigeria | |
| BD | BMA | BMI | MIDLAND | United Kingdom | Ceased operations |
| BM | BMR | BMI Regional | MIDLAND | United Kingdom | |
| BMD | British Medical Charter | BRITISH MEDICAL | United Kingdom | ||
| BME | Briggs Marine Environmental Services | BRIGGS | United Kingdom | ||
| BMH | Bristow Masayu Helicopters | MASAYU | Indonesia | ||
| WW | BMI | Bmibaby | BABY | United Kingdom | Ceased operations |
| CH | BMJ | Bemidji Airlines | BEMIDJI | United States | |
| 5Z | BML | Bismillah Airlines | BISMILLAH | Bangladesh | |
| BMN | Bowman Aviation | BOWMAN | United States | ||
| BMW | BMW | BMW-FLIGHT | Germany | ||
| BMX | Banco de Mexico | BANXICO | Mexico | ||
| BND | Bond Offshore Helicopters | BOND | United Kingdom | ||
| BNE | Benina Air | BENINA AIR | Libya | ||
| BNG | BN Group Limited | VECTIS | United Kingdom | ||
| BNL | Blue Nile Ethiopia Trading | NILE TRADING | Ethiopia | ||
| BNR | Bonair Aviation | BONAIR | Canada | ||
| BNS | Bancstar - Valley National Corporation | BANCSTAR | United States | ||
| BNT | Bentiu Air Transport | BENTIU AIR | Sudan | ||
| BNV | Benane Aviation Corporation | BENANE | Mauritania | ||
| BNW | British North West Airlines | BRITISH NORTH | United Kingdom | ||
| BOA | Boniair | KUMANOVO | Macedonia | ||
| BOD | Bond Air Services | UGABOND | Uganda | ||
| BOE | Boeing | BOEING | United States | ||
| BOF | Bordaire | BORDAIR | Canada | ||
| BOO | Bookajet Limited | BOOKAJET | United Kingdom | ||
| BO | BOU | Bouraq Indonesia Airlines | BOURAQ | Indonesia | |
| BV | BPA | Blue Panorama Airlines | BLUE PANOROMA | Italy | |
| BPK | Berkhut ZK | VENERA | Kazakhstan | ||
| BPO | Bundespolizei-Fliegertruppe | PIROL | Germany | ||
| BPS | Budapest Aircraft Services/Manx2 | BASE | Hungary | ||
| BPT | Bonus Aviation | BONUS | United Kingdom | ||
| BPX | British Petroleum Exploration | Colombia | |||
| 7R | BRB | BRA-Transportes Aéreos | BRA-TRANSPAEREOS | Brazil | |
| BRD | Brock Air Services | BROCK AIR | Canada | ||
| BRE | Breeze Ltd | AVIABREEZE | Ukraine | ||
| 8E | BRG | Bering Air | BERING AIR | United States | |
| BRK | Briansk State Air Enterprise | BRIANSK-AVIA | Russia | ||
| BRN | Branson Airlines | BRANSON | United States | ||
| BRO | BASE Regional Airlines | COASTRIDER | Netherlands | ||
| BRS | Brazilian Air Force | BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE | Brazil | ||
| BRT | British Regional Airlines | BRITISH | United Kingdom | ||
| B2 | BRU | Belavia Belarusian Airlines | BELARUS AVIA | Belarus | |
| BRV | Bravo Air Congo | BRAVO | Democratic Republic of the Congo | defunct | |
| BRW | Bright Aviation Services | BRIGHT SERVICES | Bulgaria | ||
| BN | BNF | Braniff International Airways | Braniff | United States | defunct |
| BRX | Buffalo Express Airlines | BUFF EXPRESS | United States | ||
| BRY | Burundayavia | BURAIR | Kazakhstan | ||
| BSC | Bistair - Fez | BIG SHOT | Kyrgyzstan | ||
| BSD | Blue Star Airlines | AIRLINES STAR | Mexico | ||
| BSI | Brasair Transportes Aéreos | BRASAIR | Brazil | ||
| BSJ | Blue Swan Aviation | BLUE SWAN | United Kingdom | ICAO Code and callsign (BSJ/BLUE SWAN) withdrawn | |
| BSM | Blue Sky Aviation | Lebanon | |||
| BSS | Bissau Aero Transporte | BISSAU AIRSYSTEM | Guinea-Bissau | ||
| BST | Best Air | TUNCA | Turkey | ||
| BSW | Blue Sky Airways | SKY BLUE | Czech Republic | ||
| GQ | BSY | Big Sky Airlines | BIG SKY | United States | |
| V9 | BTC | BAL Bashkirian Airlines | BASHKIRIAN | Russia | |
| BTH | Baltijas Helicopters | BALTIJAS HELICOPTERS | Latvia | ||
| BTK | Baltyka | BALTYKA | Ukraine | ||
| BQ | BTL | Baltia Air Lines | BALTIA | United States | Callsign changed from "BALTIA FLIGHT" in 2015[2] |
| BTR | Botir-Avia | BOTIR-AVIA | Kyrgyzstan | ||
| GAA | Business Express | BIZEX | United States | ||
| BTT | BT-Slavuta | BEETEE-SLAVUTA | Ukraine | ||
| Y6 | BTV | Batavia Air | BATAVIA | Indonesia | As of June 1, 2010, IATA code changed to Y6. |
| L9 | BTZ | Bristow U.S. LLC | BRISTOW | United States | |
| 1T | BUC | Bulgarian Air Charter | BULGARIAN CHARTER | Bulgaria | |
| BUL | Blue Airlines | BLUE AIRLINES | Democratic Republic of the Congo | ||
| BU | BUN | Buryat Airlines Aircompany | BURAL | Russia | |
| BUZ | Buzz Stansted | BUZZ | United Kingdom | ||
| BVA | Buffalo Airways | BUFFALO AIR | United States | ||
| BVC | Bulgarian Aeronautical Centre | BULGARIAN WINGS | Bulgaria | ||
| BVN | Baron Aviation Services | SHOW-ME | United States | ||
| J8 | BVT | Berjaya Air | BERJAYA | Malaysia | |
| BVU | Bellview Airlines, Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone | |||
| QW | BWG | Blue Wings | BLUE WINGS | Germany | defunct |
| BWI | Blue Wing Airlines | BLUE TAIL | Suriname | ||
| BWL | British World Airlines | BRITWORLD | United Kingdom | ||
| BXA | Bahrain Executive Air Services | BEXAIR | Bahrain | ||
| BXH | Bar XH Air | PALLISER | Canada | ||
| SN | BXI | Brussels International Airlines | XENIA | Belgium | |
| 8W? | BAX Global | ||||
| BYA | Berry Aviation | BERRY | United States | ||
| BYF | San Carlos Flight Center | BAY FLIGHT | United States | ||
| BYL | Bylina Joint-Stock Company | BYLINA | Russia | ||
| BYR | Berytos Airlines | Lebanon | |||
| BYE | Bayu Indonesia Air | BAYU | Indonesia | ||
| BZA | Bizair Fluggesellschaft | BERLIN BEAR | Germany | ||
| DB | BZH | Brit Air | BRITAIR | France | |
| BZZ | Butane Buzzard Aviation Corporation | BUZZARD | United Kingdom | ||
| AUJ | Business Flight Salzburg | AUSTROJET | Austria | ||
| CKM | BKS Air (Rivaflecha) | COSMOS | Spain | ||
| CLF | Bristol Flying Centre | CLIFTON | United Kingdom | ||
| CLN | Barnes Olsen Aeroleasing | SEELINE | United Kingdom | ||
| CPJ | Baltimore Air Transport | CORPJET | United States | ||
| E9 | CXS | Boston-Maine Airways | CLIPPER CONNECTION | United States | Pan Am Clipper Connection Pan Am III |
| SN | BEL | Brussels Airlines | BEE-LINE | Belgium | |
| EAH | Baltimore Airways | EASTERN | United States | ||
| EBA | Bond Aviation | BOND AVIATION | Italy | ||
| EXB | Brazilian Army Aviation | BRAZILIAN ARMY | Brazil | ||
| EXP | Business Express Delivery | EXPRESS AIR | Canada | ||
| FOS | Bel Limited | Russia | |||
| HAW | Bangkok Aviation Center | THAI HAWK | Thailand | ||
| HAX | Benair | SCOOP | Norway | ||
| NT | IBB | Binter Canarias | BINTER | Spain | |
| IRJ | Bonyad Airlines | BONYAD AIR | Iran | ||
| IVR | Burundaiavia | RERUN | Kazakhstan | ||
| 0B | BMS | Blue Air | BLUE MESSANGER | Romania | |
| KJ | LAJ | British Mediterranean Airways | BEE MED | United Kingdom | |
| LBY | Belle Air | ALBAN-BELLE | Albania | ||
| LED | Blom Geomatics | SWEEPER | Norway | ||
| LTL | Benin Littoral Airways | LITTORAL | Benin | ||
| LXJ | Bombardier Business Jet Solutions | FLEXJET | United States | ||
| FB | LZB | Bulgaria Air | FLYING BULGARIA | Bulgaria | |
| MBR | Brazilian Navy Aviation | BRAZILIAN NAVY | Brazil | ||
| 8N | NKF | Barents AirLink | NORDFLIGHT | Sweden | previously Nordkalottflyg |
| NYB | Belgian Navy | BELGIAN NAVY | Belgium | ||
| OGJ | Bakoji Airlines Services | BAKO AIR | Nigeria | ||
| PEB | Benders Air | PALEMA | Sweden | ||
| PNT | Balmoral Central Contracts | PORTNET | South Africa | ||
| POI | BGB Air | BOJBAN | Kazakhstan | ||
| PPS | Butte Aviation | PIPESTONE | United States | ||
| RHD | Bond Air Services | RED HEAD | United Kingdom | ||
| RLR | Business Airfreight | RATTLER | United States | ||
| RPX | BAC Express Airlines | RAPEX | United Kingdom | ||
| RRS | Boscombe Down DERA (Formation) | BLACKBOX | United Kingdom | ||
| SCJ | Business Jet Sweden | SCANJET | Sweden | ||
| SHT | British Airways Shuttle | SHUTTLE | United Kingdom | BA domestic services | |
| SKH | British Sky Broadcasting | SKYNEWS | United Kingdom | ||
| TXB | Bell Helicopter Textron | TEXTRON | Canada | ||
| UKA | Buzzaway Limited | UKAY | United Kingdom | ||
| VLX | Biz Jet Charter | AVOLAR | United States | ||
| VOL | Blue Chip Jet | BLUE SPEED | Sweden | ||
| WFD | BAE Systems | AVRO | United Kingdom | Woodford Flight Test | |
| WTN | BAE Systems | TARNISH | United Kingdom | Warton Military Flight Ops | |
| XBO | Baseops International | United States | |||
| XDA | Bureau Veritas | France | |||
| XMS | British Airways Santa | SANTA | United Kingdom | Christmas charter flights | |
| ZBA | Boskovic Air Charters Limited | BOSKY | Kenya | ||
| BLM | Blue Sky Airlines | BLUE ARMENIA | Armenia |
* on IATA code indicates a controlled duplicate. italics indicates a defunct airline.
See also
Notes
External links
- International Civil Aviation Organization (official site)
- ICAO On-line Publications Purchasing (official site)
- Airline Designator / Code Database Search (from The Airline Codes Web Site)
- Airline Designator / Code Database Search (from Aviation Codes Central Web Site - Regular Updates)
- Airline Designator/Code Listing (from FAA Web Site)