Master Data

Airline reference data is the set of standardised codes and classifications that identify every carrier, airport, and aircraft type used in aviation. Published by IATA, ICAO, and the FAA, these codes are typically one to four characters and act as the common language that allows airline systems, booking engines, and flight operations tools to communicate accurately with each other.

For example, London Heathrow Airport has the IATA code LHR, and it is LHR that systems read and process, not the full airport name. Without accurate reference data, flight records, schedules, and bookings break down.

Yes. OAG master data is built on the three principal aviation reference standards: IATA (International Air Transport Association), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).

These are the globally recognised bodies that assign and maintain the codes used across airline systems, airports, and air traffic control worldwide. By aligning to all three standards, OAG master data works across the full range of systems and geographies that aviation operations depend on.

between them.

The three standards serve different purposes. IATA codes are the most widely used in commercial aviation, covering airlines and airports that passengers and booking systems interact with every day. ICAO codes are used primarily in air traffic control and flight operations, and cover a broader range of locations including airfields that IATA does not assign codes to. FAA codes cover locations across the United States and its territories.

Which standard your systems reference will depend on what you are building, but OAG master data gives you all three in one place, along with OAG's own code recommendations where standards overlap or conflict.