Airline Call Signs Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything

Airline Call Signs

5 Conversations

The flight crew of any airliner needs to talk to ground control or to air traffic control officers before, during, and after a flight. This tends to reduce the risks of their aeroplane bumping into other aeroplanes. A standard company call-sign will normally be spoken before the flight number by both the aircrew and the relevant flight controllers.

Most of these call-signs relate very closely to the airline's trade name. The digits making up the flight number are shown in published timetables of the airline and also on the arrivals and departures screens that are found at most airports (and on their websites). It is clearly important that the verbal instructions passed by air traffic control officers are heard and responded to in the specific aircraft that they are directing to turn/climb/decelerate, etc. For that reason, company call-signs are internationally regulated and agreed to be sufficiently distinctive. This helps to minimise the chances of misunderstandings, and thus the risks of aeroplanes leaving their authorised course.

This is a list of the less obvious call-signs in use by many airlines, in alphabetic order of airline name. A few air forces are included too:

AircraftCall-signCountry
Aalborg AirtaxiDantexDenmark
Aces - Aerolineas Centrales De ColumbiaAcesColumbia
Action AirlinesAction AirUSA
Aer LingusShamrockIreland
AerisFrancecharterFrance
Aero Aviation CentreSunriseCanada
Aero ServicesBird ExpressFrance
Aerolineas ArgentinasArgentinaArgentina
Aeromar AirlinesTrans AeromarMexico
AeropostaleAeropostaFrance
African International AirwaysFlycargoSwaziland
African Safari AirwaysZebraKenya
Air 2000JetsetUK
Air AlsieMermaidDenmark
Air BCAircoachCanada
Air CaledonieAircalNew Caledonia
Air Caledonie InternationalAircalinNew Caledonia
Air CareDrakeUK
Air Cargo AmericaPegasusUSA
Air Cargo CarriersNight CargoUSA
Air CatEurocatSwitzerland
Air Center WestBirdieDenmark
Air ChaparralMaverickUSA
Air Charter ServicesZaire CharterDemocratic Republic of Congo
Air ContinentalNight AirUSA
Air Europa ExpressAir RegionalSpain
Air FoyleBroadspeedUK
Air FoyleCutlassUK
Air FoyleFoyleUK
Air FoyleKrisUK
Air Foyle/SunjetSkymanUK
Air Holland Regional - In Receivership 1999OrangeHolland
Air JamaicaJuliet MikeJamaica
Air LiberiaNovember LimaLiberia
Air MadagascarMadairMalagasay Republic
Air MauritanieMike RomeoMauritania
Air MedicalAirmedUK
Air Mongol / MiatMongol AirMongolia
Air NelsonMot AirNew Zealand
Air NewarkNewairUSA
Air Niagra ExpressDatabirdCanada
Air Nippon Kasushika GaishaAnk AirJapan
Air Outre Mer/MinerveFrenchlinesFrance
Air Panama InternacionalArpaPanama
Air PortugalTapPortugal
Air ScheffervilleScheffCanada
Air SenegalSonatra Air SenegalSenegal
Air ShotByteUK
Air South AirwaysShawneeUSA
Air TchadHotel TangoTchad
Air Traffic GmbhSnoopyGermany
Air VanuatuAir VanVanuatu
Air ViaVarna AirBulgaria
Air WalesSnowdonUK
Air WorldEnvoyUK
Airborne Express/Abx AirAbexUSA
Airtours InternationalKestrelUK
Airtran AirwaysCitrusUSA
Airways InternationalAirnatUSA
AJ Air ServicesAjayUK
AJT Air InternationalTurjetRussia
AMC Air CharterBavariaGermany
America West AirlinesCactusUSA
American Airlines TurbopropsEagle FlightUSA
American Trans-AirAmtramUSA
Arrow AirBig AUSA
Atlantic AirwaysFaroelineNorway/Faroe Islands
Atlantic Coast AirlinesBlue RidgeUSA
Atlantic Island AirTriangleIceland
Atlantic Southeast AirlinesCandlerUSA
Atlas AirGiantUSA
Aurigny Air ServicesAylineUK
AviaexpressAvexHungary
AviairCaribouCanada
AvialRushairRussia
Bac Express AirlinesRapexUK
Bali AirBiarIndonesia
Bangladesh Biman AirlinesBangladeshBangladesh
Baron Aviation ServicesShow MeUSA
Bo-S-Aire AirlinesBowman AirUSA
Bond Air ServicesUgabondUK
Braathens HelikopterBee CopterNorway
Brasil Central Lineas Aereos RegionalCentralBrazil
Britannia Airways GmbhWindsorGermany
British Aerospace - FiltonSapphireUK
British Aerospace - WartonTarnishUK
British AirwaysSpeedbirdUK
British EuropeanJerseyUK
British International HelicoptersLionUK
British Regional AirlinesBritishUK
British West Indian AirwaysWest IndianTrinidad and Tobago
Britten NormanVectisUK
Buffalo AirwaysBuffalo AirUSA
Business AirGraniteUK
Business Aviation ServicesCoastriderHolland
Business ExpressBiz ExUSA
Cameroon AirlinesCam-AirCameroon
Canada 3000 AirlinesEliteCanada
Canadian ForcesCanforceCanada
Cape AirCairUSA
Capital Air ServiceCapairUSA
Capital AviationPrestigeUK
Caribbean AirwaysCaribjetBarbados
Centennial AirlinesWyo AirUSA
Centre AirlinesDutch ValleyUSA
Centreline AirCliftonUK
Channel ExpressChannexUK
Chicago Express AirlinesWindy CityUSA
China AirlinesDynastyTaiwan
China United AirlinesLianhangChina
City Air (Chester)Air ChesterUK
CityjetCity IrelandIreland
Civil Aviation AuthorityMinairUK
Cologne Commercial FlightTomcatGermany
Continental ExpressJetlinkUSA
Continental MicronesiaAir MikeGuam
Cooper Aerial SurveySurveyorUK
Corporate AirAir SpurUSA
Corse MediterreaneeCorsemedFrance
Coval AirOdysseyCanada
Dairo Air Services - Das Air CargoDairairUganda
Danish Air TransportDantransDenmark
Delta Air TransportDatBelgium
Deutsche BaSpeedwayGermany
DragonairLoongairChina
Dravidian AviationFirestoneUK
Druk AirBhutanBhutan
Dynamic AirDynamiteHolland
Eagle Air ServiceSwiss EagleSwitzerland
East-West EuropeanSilver WingBulgaria
Eastern Air ExecutiveEastexUK
Eastern AirwaysEastflightUK
Eastern Flying ServiceSpeedairCanada
Easyjet SwitzerlandTopswissSwitzerland
Edinburgh Air CharterSaltireUK
Efs Flug Service GmbhFlightserviceGermany
Euro Exec ExpressEcho ExpressSweden
Euro Flight SwedenEurowestSweden
Euroair TransportAlexandra?
Eurobelgian AirlinesBelstarBelgium
European Air TaxiNeatUK
European Air Transport / DhlEurotransBelgium
European Aviation Air CharterEurocharterUK
Euroscot ExpressScotairUK
Executive Aviation Services LtdJesterUK
Executive Jet AviationExecjetSwitzerland
Express AirlinesFlagshipUSA
Express One InternationalLonghornUSA
Express One InternationalSpartusUSA
Farner Air TransportBlue StripHungary
Fast Air Carrier/TntFasterChile
Faucett PeruCharlie FoxtrotPeru
FinnaviationBluebirdFinland
Finnish Air ForceFinforceFinland
Flight Precision LtdCobhamUK
Flugdienst FehlhaberWitchcraftGermany
Flugfelag AusturlandsAusturflugIceland
Flugfelag NordurlandsNorlandIceland
Fr AviationBroadwayUK
Fr AviationRushtonUK
French Air ForceFoxtrot MikeFrance
French Air Force - Transport SqCotamFrance
Frontier AirlinesFrontier FlightUSA
Garuda Indonesia AirwaysIndonesiaIndonesia
Gb AirwaysGeebeeUK
German Air RescueAmbulanceGermany
GermaniaJokerGermany
Go FlyGoflightUK
Gojet AviationGojetUK
Gp Express AirlinesRegional ExpressUSA
Great Lakes AviationLakes AirUSA
Great Wall AirlinesChangahangChina
GreenlandairGlaceDenmark
Gt AviationGeetee AviaUK
Gulfstream International AirlinesGulf FlightUSA
HeliairHeli-BulgariaBulgaria
Helikopter ServiceHelibusNorway
Helikopterservice Euro AirSwedcopterSweden
Hokkaido International AirlinesAir DoJapan
Hummingbird Island AirwaysHumMaldives
IMP Aviation ServiceBluenoseCanada
Indian AirlinesIndairIndia
Indonesia Air TransportIntraIndonesia
Industrie Air CharterInduschartFrance
Inter-Island AirUgly VanUSA
Irish Air TransportIrish TransIreland
Island AirAlakaiUSA
Isles Of Scilly SkybusScilloniaUK
Jamahiriya Libyan Arab AirlinesLibairLibya
Japan Air CommuterCommuterJapan
Japan Air LinesJapanairJapan
Japan Asia AirwaysAsiaJapan
Jetair Flight AcademySpeedfoxDenmark
Kd Air CorporationKay DeeCanada
Kitty Hawk InternationalArthurUSA
Knight AirKnightwayUK
Kuwait AirwaysKuwaitiKuwait
Labrador AirwaysLab AirCanada
Langtry Flying GroupProflightUK
Lansa - Lineas Aereas NacionalesUniform LimaHonduras
Lapa - Lineas Aereas Privadas ArgentinasLapaArgentina
Leeds Central HelicoptersPathfinderUK
Legend AirlinesLegendaryUSA
Liberia World AirlinesHotel YankeeLiberia
Libyan Arab Air CargoLibacLibya
Lineas Aereas CanariasLCNSpain
Lineas Aereas SuramericanasSuramericanoColumbia
LinjeflygSwedlineSweden
LionairLairLuxembourg
London Executive AviationLonnexUK
Lte Lufttransport EspanaFunjetSpain
Lufttransport UnternehmenLTUGermany
LuxaviationRed LionLuxembourg
Macedonian AirlinesMacairGreece
Macedonian AirlinesMakavioMacedonia
Maersk AirBluestarUK
Magadan AirlinesMavialRussia
Majestic AirlinesMagic AirUSA
Manx AirlinesBritishUK
MarkairInteralasUSA
May Air XpressBeechnutUSA
Mcalpine HelicoptersMaclineUK
MeridianaMerairItaly
Merlin ExpressPackage AirUSA
Mesa AirlinesAir ShuttleUSA
Metropolitan PoliceSpecialUK
Miami Air InternationalBiscayneUSA
Middle East AirlinesCedarjetLebanon
Midway AirlinesJet ExpressUSA
Midwest Express AirlinesSkyshipUSA
Million AirMill AirUSA
Mng Cargo AirlinesBlack SeaTurkey
Msr Flug CharterSkyriderGermany
Mtm AviationAviatransGermany
Myanmar AirwaysUnionairMyanmar
Nantucket AirlinesAck AirUSA
National AirlinesRed RockNot Known
National AirlinesNatchairSouth Africa
Nawa Air TransportSupernawaHungary
New York HelicopterMetrocopterUSA
Newair AirserviceNewdanDenmark
Newfoundland And Labrador Air TransportNalairCanada
Nigel MansellFlight RedUK
Norsk AirNorsemanNorway
North British AirlinesTeesairUK
North Coast AviationAir OhioUSA
Northamptonshire School Of FlyingNortonUK
Northern Air CargoYukonUSA
Northern Air ServiceNortaxUSA
Northern Executive AviationNeataxUK
Novair / Nova AirlinesNavigatorSweden
Nurnbergen FlugFlamingoGermany
Nwt Air/Air Canada ConnectorTerritorialCanada
Oman AirOryxUnited Arab Emirates
Ostfriesische LufttransportOstfriesGermany
Pan American World AirwaysClipperUSA
Panorama Air ToursLaniUSA
Pegasus AirlinesSunturkTurkey
PLM Dollar GroupOspreyUK
Polo AviationChukkaUK
Polynesian AirwaysPolyairUSA
Prince Edward AirCometCanada
Pro AirProhawkUSA
Propheter AviationAir PropUSA
Provincial AirlinesStarliteCanada
Qinetiq, Boscombe DownGauntletUK
Quick AirDagobertGermany
RavenairRavenUK
Raytheon Corporate JetsMantaUK
Rex AviationTranzairNew Zealand
RomaviaAeromaviaRomania
Ross AviationEnergyUSA
Royal Air ForceRafairUK
Royal Air Force - 33 GroupVortexUK
Royal Air Force Air Support CommandAscotUK
Royal Air MarocMaroc AirMorocco
Royal AirlinesRoyCanada
Royal Australian Air ForceAussieAustralia
Royal FlightKitty/KittyhawkUK
Royal Flight Helicopters (UK)RainbowUK
Royal NavyNavyUK
Royal New Zealand Air ForceKiwiNew Zealand
Royal Swedish Air ForceSwedicSweden
RyanairBudget JetIreland
Saber Cargo AirlinesFreighterUSA
SafairCargoSouth Africa
Sata InternationalAir AcoresPortugal
Scot AirwaysSucklingUK
ServairSwissbirdSwitzerland
Sichuan AirlinesChuabhangChina
Sierra National AirlinesSelairSierra Leone
SkyfreightersSkybusUSA
SkyserviceSkytourCanada
Skyways Regional Ex-Airborne of SwedenMidwingSweden
SkywingsSkyfoxSwitzerland
SMAC - Sabang Merauke Air CharterSamerIndonesia
SMB Stage LineStageUSA
South African AirwaysSpringbokSouth Africa
South East Police Aviation UnitPoliceUK
South West AirSaint ClairCanada
Southwest Air LinesNanseiJapan
SpanairSunwingSpain
Spanish Air ForceAir MilSpain
Spirit AirlinesSpirit WingsUSA
Sports Air TravelWest CoastUSA
Springdale Air ServiceSpring AirUSA
Star AirWhite StarDenmark
Star Europe AirlinesStarwayFrance
Stratford AirwaysFestival CityCanada
Suburban Air FreightSub AirUSA
Sun Country AirlinesSunshineUSA
Sun-AirSunscanDenmark
SunaireSunbirdUSA
Sunways Intersun HavacilikIntersunTurkey
Sunwest AirlinesSunflightCanada
Superior AviationSpend AirUSA
Surrey And Kent Flying ClubSurreyUK
SwedewingsWingsSweden
SwiftairSwiftSpain
Swiss Air AmbulanceSwiss AmbulanceSwitzerland
Systems International AirwaysFloridaUSA
TEA SwitzerlandTranswaySwitzerland
TACV-Transportes Aereos De Cabo VerdeTransverdeCape Verde Islands
Teddy AirTeddysNorway
Thy - Turkish AirlinesTurkairTurkey
Thyssen Krupp AgBluelineGermany
Titan AirwaysZapUK
TNT International AvnNitroUK
Tower AirTee AirUSA
Trans Air LinkSky TruckUSA
Trans Continental AirlinesTransconUSA
Trans European AirlinesEurolinesGreece
Trans Mediterranean AirwaysTango LimaLebanon
Trans States AirlinesWater SkiUSA
Trans World ExpressRedbirdUSA
Transaero AirlinesTango OscarRussia
Transporte E Trabalho AeroTransaeroMozambique
Transportes Aereos NeuquenTaneuArgentina
Tropic AirTropiserAntigua
Tulip Air CharterFarnair EuropeHolland
Tunis AirTunairTunisia
UK Royal FlightKitty or KittyhawkUK
United Air ServicesUnitairZimbabwe
United Parcel ServiceUPSUSA
Universal AirlinesAirgoUSA
US AirwaysUS Air or US Air ShuttleUSA
US Check AirlinesStar CheckUSA
USA Jet AirwaysJet USAUSA
Uzbekistan AirwaysUzbekUzbekistan
Vanguard AirlinesVanguard AirUSA
Viking ExpressTitan AirUSA
Virgin AirVirairUSA
Virgin Express FranceLadybirdFrance
Virgin Express IrelandGreen IsleIreland
Virgin Islands Seaplane ShuttleWaterbirdUSA
VLMRubensBelgium
Volga-DneprVolgaRussia
Waglisla Air Sea Hawk Canada
Warbelows Air VenturesVentaireUSA
Warwickshire AerocentreAirtaxUK
West Air SwedenAir SwedenSweden
West Coast AirGambia CoastalGambia
Western Pacific Air ServiceWestpacSolomon Islands
Williams RacingGrandprixUK
Woodgate Air ServicesWoodairUK
Worldways CanadaCanadaCanada
Young Flying ServiceYoung AirUSA

Some of the operators listed may have ceased trading or merged or updated their names. The country stated is the one in which the majority of their aircraft are believed to be registered, it may not always be the country in which the operator is legally incorporated. Airlines whose names are self-evident from the similarity of their call-signs are generally omitted from this list.


Bookmark on your Personal Space


Edited Entry

A698231

Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

Read a random Edited Entry

Categorised In:


Written by

Edited by

h2g2 Editors

References

h2g2 Entries

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more