The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-letter code designating aerodromes around the world. These codes, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization and published quarterly in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators , are used by air traffic control and airline operations such as flight planning . ICAO codes are also used to identify other aviation facilities such as weather stations , international flight service stations or area control centers , whether or not they are located at airports. Flight information regions are also identified by a unique ICAO-code.
61-496: Savatiya (also Kotlas South , Savati , or Savvatiya ) ( ICAO : ULKS ) is a former Russian Air Force air base in Arkhangelsk Oblast , Russia located 29 km south of Kotlas . It is a small interceptor airfield. It was home to 445th Interceptor Aviation Regiment (445 IAP) between 1967 and 1993, which received Tupolev Tu-128 (ASCC: Fiddler) aircraft in 1967, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (ASCC: Foxbat) aircraft by
122-469: A facelift in 2006 that included light-fixture upgrades, new paint finishes, new ceiling grids and tiles, heating and air conditioning replacement, and complete restroom renovations. While all gates in Concourses C/D can be utilized for both domestic and international departures, all United international arrivals are conducted at gates C1-C14. These gates contain two exit configurations depending on
183-442: A few that use Concourse A). These concourses were constructed in 1983 as temporary facilities and designed by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum . The two concourses have 22 gates each, numbered C1–C28 and D1–D32, with odd-numbered gates on the north side of the building and even numbered gates on the south side. Concourse C composes the eastern half of the terminal and Concourse D composes the western half. The C/D concourses were given
244-471: A new three-story 550,000 square foot (51,000 m ) south concourse building above the AeroTrain station for Concourse C, to replace Concourse A regional gates built in 1999. Decades-old rules set by Congress that limit the number of takeoffs and landings, as well as distance of routes, at Reagan Airport were intended in part to keep more flights at Dulles. Those rules have been weakened by Congress over
305-620: A parallel set of toll lanes were added on the same right-of-way to accommodate non-airport traffic (Dulles Toll Road). The airport-only lanes are both less congested and toll-free. As of November 1, 2008, MWAA assumed responsibility from the Virginia Department of Transportation both for operating the Dulles Toll Road and for the construction of the Silver Line down its median. Route 28, which runs north–south along
366-509: A renovation program for the airport including a new security mezzanine with more room for lines. A new train system, dubbed AeroTrain and developed by Mitsubishi , began in 2010 to transport passengers between the concourses and the main terminal. The system, which uses rubber tires and travels along a fixed underground guideway, is similar to the people mover systems at Singapore Changi Airport , Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , and Denver International Airport . The train
427-546: A row of office buildings along the north side of the main parking lot. The design also included a two-level road in front of the terminal to separate arrival and departure traffic and a federally owned limited access highway connecting the terminal to the Capital Beltway ( I-495 ) about 17 miles (27 km) to the east. (Eventually, the highway system grew to include a parallel toll road to handle commuter traffic and an extension to connect to I-66 ). The access road had
488-427: A train does not exceed four minutes, compared to the average 15-minute wait and travel time for mobile lounges. Under the development plan, future phases would see the addition of several new midfield concourses and a new south terminal. A fourth runway (parallel to the existing runways 1 and 19 L&R) opened in 2008, and development plans include a fifth runway to parallel the existing runway 12–30. If this runway
549-487: A wide median strip to allow the construction of a passenger rail line, which opened as an extension of the Washington Metro's Silver Line on November 15, 2022. By 1985 the original design, featuring mobile lounges to meet each plane, was no longer well-suited to Dulles's role as a hub airport. Instead, midfield concourses were constructed to allow passengers to walk between connecting flights without visiting
610-480: Is a pseudo-code, used in flight plans for aerodromes with no ICAO code assigned. ICAO codes are sometimes updated. Johannesburg Airport in Johannesburg , South Africa, for instance, was formerly known as Jan Smuts International Airport, with code FAJS. When the airport was renamed O. R. Tambo International Airport, its ICAO code was updated to FAOR. Some airports have two ICAO codes, usually when an airport
671-802: Is a well-known landmark designed by Eero Saarinen , who also designed the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport . Operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority , Dulles occupies 13,000 acres (20.3 sq mi; 52.6 km ), straddling the Loudoun–Fairfax line. IAD ranks fifth in the US in terms of land area, after Denver International Airport , Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , Southwest Florida International Airport , and Orlando International Airport . Most of
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#1732780927104732-667: Is an international airport in Loudoun County and Fairfax County in Northern Virginia , United States, 26 miles (42 km) west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport, which opened in 1962, is named after John Foster Dulles , an influential United States Secretary of State during the Cold War who briefly represented New York in the United States Senate . The airport's main terminal
793-402: Is built, the current runway will be re-designated as 12L-30R while the new runway will be designated 12R-30L. An expansion of the B concourse, used by many low-cost airlines as well as international arrivals, has been completed, and the building housing Concourses C and D will eventually be knocked down to make room for a more ergonomic building. Because Concourses C and D are temporary concourses,
854-464: Is frequently used by airlines that United has codeshare agreements with, mostly composed of Star Alliance members like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa . Before World War II , Hoover Field was the main commercial airport serving Washington, on the site now occupied by the Pentagon and its parking lots. It was replaced by Washington National Airport in 1941, a short distance southeast. After
915-427: Is intended to replace the mobile lounges, which many passengers found crowded and inconvenient. The initial phase includes the main terminal station, a permanent Concourse A station, a permanent Concourse B station, a permanent midfield concourse station (with access to the current temporary C concourse via a tunnel with moving walkways), and a maintenance facility. Mobile lounges continue to service Concourse D from both
976-455: Is primarily used for international flights. Air France and KLM have a lounge opposite gate A19, Etihad Airways operates a First and Business Class lounge across from gate A15, and Virgin Atlantic has a Clubhouse lounge adjacent to gate A31. Concourse A's AeroTrain station is located between gates A6 and A14. Concourse B has 28 gates, located in the western half of the terminal. It is
1037-751: Is shared by civilian and military users. Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt , Germany, for instance, has been assigned ICAO code EDDF while Rhein-Main Air Base was assigned ICAO code EDAF until its closure. Sion Airport in Switzerland has code LSGS while its military facilities have the ICAO code LSMS. Brussels Airport in Brussels , Belgium, has the ICAO code EBBR for its civilian facilities, and Melsbroek Air Base has been assigned ICAO code EBMB, even though
1098-606: The Jezero Crater on Mars is assigned the special ICAO code JZRO. Codes beginning with I (Ixx and Ixxx) are often used for navigational aids such as radio beacons, while the Q code is reserved for international radiocommunications and non-geographical special use. In Russia , Latin letter X, or its Morse / Baudot Cyrillic equivalent Ь , are used to designate government, military, and experimental aviation airfields in internal airfield codes similar in structure and purpose to ICAO codes but not used internationally. ZZZZ
1159-415: The AeroTrain, which links the main terminal with the A and B concourse and links to a tunnel connecting to the C concourse. All airlines aside from certain express flights operate out of two linear satellite terminals . Each terminal is divided into two concourses, with the north terminal containing Concourses A and B, and the south terminal containing Concourses C and D. Concourses A and B are located in
1220-495: The D2 Dulles Development Project. The new building is to include a three-level structure with 44 airline gates and similar amenities to Concourse B. The concourse plan includes a dedicated mezzanine corridor with moving sidewalks to serve international passengers. The design and construction of the new C/D concourse has not been scheduled. When built, it is planned that both terminals will be connected to
1281-885: The Herndon–Monroe park & ride lot in Herndon, the Reston Town Center transit in Reston, the Wiehle–Reston East Metro station, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Air and Space Museum. Formerly, the Metrobus 5A route served at the airport. Megabus provides service from Dulles to Charlottesville and Blacksburg . Washington Flyer has a monopoly to operate cabs from Washington Dulles Airport. Uber and Lyft are popular modes of transport to and from
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#17327809271041342-546: The ICAO code indicate the country; the remaining letters identify the airport. ICAO codes are used partly for geographical context. For example, the ICAO code for Heathrow International Airport in London, is EGLL, with its first letters reflecting that it is based in the United Kingdom . On the other hand, IATA codes do not provide geographic reference. For example, LHR, representing Heathrow, does not enable one to deduce
1403-538: The International Arrivals Building, as well as to transport passengers to and from aircraft on the hard stands that are called H gates (i.e., those parked remotely on the apron without access to jet bridges). Dulles's main terminal houses ticketing on the upper level, baggage claim and U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the lower level, and annexes for the International Arrivals Building for international passenger processing, as well as
1464-475: The International Arrivals Building, while passengers making onward connections are directed to a separate customs facility located on the ground floor of Concourse C. After being screened by TSA at a dedicated security checkpoint within the facility, these passengers then take escalators that deposit them in Concourse C near gate C7. A new and permanent C/D concourse (also called "Tier 2") is planned as part of
1525-543: The U.S. The airport was Loudoun County's first official airport, consisting of two grass intersecting runways in the shape of an "X". The location of the former Blue Ridge Airport sits where the Dulles Air Freight complex and Washington Dulles Airport Marriott now sit today. The civil engineering firm Ammann and Whitney was named lead contractor. The airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy and Eisenhower on November 17, 1962. As originally opened,
1586-536: The United Kingdom, but nearby civilian Port Stanley Airport is assigned SFAL, consistent with South America . Saint Pierre and Miquelon is controlled by France, and airports there are assigned LFxx as though they were in Europe. Kosovo is assigned the code BKxx grouping it with Greenland and Iceland rather than its geographical neighbors which have Lxxx (described below). Jerusalem International Airport
1647-891: The Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area behind Reagan National Airport and the 28th-busiest airport in the United States. Dulles has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the Mid-Atlantic outside the New York metropolitan area , including approximately 90% of the international passenger traffic in the Baltimore–Washington region. It had more than 20 million passenger enplanements every year from 2004 to 2019, with 24 million enplanements in 2019. An average of 60,000 passengers pass through Dulles daily to and from more than 139 destinations around
1708-434: The airport had three long runways (current day runways 1C/19C, 1R/19L, and 12/30) and one shorter one (where current taxiway Q is located). Its original name, Dulles International Airport, was changed in 1984 to Washington Dulles International Airport. The main terminal was designed in 1958 by famed Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen , and it is highly regarded for its graceful beauty, suggestive of flight. The terminal
1769-613: The airport is in the unincorporated community of Dulles in Loudoun County, with a small portion in the unincorporated community of Chantilly in Fairfax County. Along with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Dulles is one of three major airports serving the Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area . As of 2021, it is the second-busiest airport in
1830-482: The airport's plane mate vehicles. Conceived in early planning sessions in 1959, Dulles is one of a few remaining airports to utilize mobile lounges (also known as "plane mates" or "people movers"), now only used for transport to the International Arrivals Building as well as transport for Concourse D. They have all been given names based on the postal abbreviations of 50 states, e.g., VA, MD, AK. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has partially phased out
1891-572: The airport: Washington Dulles is accessible via the Dulles Access Road / Dulles Greenway ( State Route 267 ) and State Route 28 . The Access Road is a toll-free, limited access highway owned by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to facilitate car access to Washington Dulles from the Capital Beltway and Interstate 66 . After it opened, non-airport traffic between Washington and Reston became so heavy that
Savatiya (air base) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-429: The arriving flight. Domestic passengers and international passengers from airports with U.S. customs pre-clearance exit directly into the concourse, while international arrivals from airports without border pre-clearance are redirected down a sterile corridor to U.S. Customs & Immigration. Passengers arriving from international destinations who are ending their journey at Dulles are then transported by mobile lounge to
2013-469: The consumption of more than 37,000 Northern Virginia homes during peak production. In 2024, IAD was ranked as the 11th best airport in the world by AirHelp , a passenger rights tech company that assists passengers with flight disruptions. Data was compiled for 239 of the world's busiest airports in 69 countries. Data was compiled from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024. Criteria was based on on-time performance, customer opinion, and food and shops. Dulles ranking
2074-556: The eastern edge of the airport, has been upgraded to a limited access highway, with the interchanges financed through a property tax surcharge on nearby business properties. The Dulles Toll Road ( VA-267 ) is extended to the south of Leesburg as the Dulles Greenway. Washington Metro service is available to Dulles via a station on the Silver Line . Service began operation on November 15, 2022. Fairfax Connector bus routes 981 and 983 serve Washington Dulles, connecting to
2135-439: The first of the permanent elevated midfield concourses. Originally constructed in 1998 and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum , the B concourse contained 20 gates. In 2003, 4 additional gates were added to concourse B, followed by a 15-gate expansion in 2008. In addition to the AeroTrain station located between gates B51 and B62, Concourse B also has an underground walkway to connect it to
2196-501: The four Z gates (used by Air Canada and United Express), H gates, various information kiosks and other support facilities. The main terminal was recognized by the American Institute of Architects in 1966 for its design concept; its roof is a suspended catenary providing a wide enclosed area unimpeded by any columns. The main terminal was extended in 1996 to 1,240 feet (380 m)—Saarinen's original design length—which
2257-499: The late 1970s, and Mikoyan MiG-31 (ASCC: Foxhound) by the 1990s. It is also listed as being home to 458th Guards Interceptor Aviation Regiment (458 IAP) which flew MiG-31s in the 1990s. The base was also used by the 470th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment from 1993. This Russian military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . ICAO airport code The recommendations for ICAO airport codes were adopted on 24 March 1959, and came into force on 1 October
2318-605: The location of the airport LHV with any greater certainty; it is William T. Piper Memorial Airport in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania in the United States . There are a few exceptions to the regional structure of the ICAO code that have been historically for political or administrative reasons. RAF Mount Pleasant air base in the Falkland Islands , for instance, is assigned the ICAO code EGYP as though it were in
2379-416: The main terminal and Concourse A. Even after AeroTrain is built out and the replacement Concourses C and D are built, the mobile lounges and plane mates will still continue to be used, to transport international arriving passengers to the International Arrivals Building, as well as transport passengers to aircraft parked on hardstands without direct access to jet bridges. Dulles has stated that the wait time for
2440-467: The main terminal and other concourses via the AeroTrain. To that extent, the AeroTrain station at Concourse C was built at the location where the future Concourse C/D structure is proposed to be built, and is connected to the existing Concourse C via an underground walkway. In April 2022, the Airport Authority published plans for a 14 gate Concourse E to be built atop the AeroTrain station with
2501-534: The main terminal. Concourse B is used by some international carriers, and is also utilized by almost all non-United domestic and Canada flights. The facility also includes a British Airways Galleries lounge adjacent to the AeroTrain station, a Lufthansa lounge between gates B49 and B51, and a Turkish Airlines lounge near gate B43. Concourses C and D are located in the south midfield terminal, and are used for United Airlines flights, including all mainline flights and most United Express regional flights (save for
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2562-420: The main terminal. Mobile lounges were still used for international flights and to transport passengers between the midfield concourses and the main terminal; Concourse C/D was the first to be built, followed by Concourse A/B. A tunnel (consisting of a passenger walkway and moving sidewalks) that links the main terminal and Concourse B was opened in 2004. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) began
2623-406: The midfield terminal building closer to the main terminal. They are utilized by all non-United flights as well as a limited number of United Express flights. Concourse A has 47 gates, located in the eastern half of the north midfield terminal. It consists of a permanent ground-level set of gates designed for small planes and United Express flights, and several former Concourse B gates. The concourse
2684-603: The mobile lounge system for inter-terminal passenger movements with the AeroTrain , an underground people mover that currently operates to all of the concourses except concourse D, with a passenger tunnel remaining to concourses A and B. However, the Aerotrain to concourse C stops at a terminal north of the actual concourse, leaving a significant walk from the terminal to concourse after disembarking. Plane mates remain in use to disembark international passengers and carry them to
2745-441: The name of the airport or the city it serves, while ICAO codes are distributed by region and country. Far more aerodromes (in the broad sense) have ICAO codes than IATA codes, which are sometimes assigned to railway stations as well. The selection of ICAO codes is partly delegated to authorities in each country, while IATA codes, which have no geographic structure, must be decided centrally by IATA. The first one or two letters of
2806-452: The only way to get to those concourses is via moving walkway from the Concourse C station, which is built in the location of the future gates and Concourse D by mobile lounge from the main terminal. In the short term, United Airlines has constructed a 20,000 square foot (1,900 m ) buildout on Concourse C between gate C18 and the AeroTrain entrance for use as a Polaris Lounge for international passengers. Further expansion plans include
2867-587: The purpose of replacing outdoor boarding areas at Concourse A. Construction is expected to cost between $ 500 million and $ 800 million and the airport is seeking $ 230 million grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Construction on the concourse began in August 2024, and it is expected to open in 2026. Since many major domestic and international airlines have a large presence at Washington Dulles, there are many airline lounges within
2928-577: The rapid expansion of Washington's suburbs during the time, led to reconsideration of this plan. One competing plan called for the airport to be built in the Pender area of Fairfax County, while another called for the conversion of Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County , Maryland , into a commercial airport. The current site was selected by President Eisenhower in 1958; the Dulles name
2989-510: The same year. ICAO codes are separate and different from IATA codes , the latter of which have three letters and are generally used for airline timetables , reservations, and baggage tags. For example, the IATA code for London 's Heathrow Airport is LHR and its ICAO code is EGLL. IATA codes are commonly seen by passengers and the general public on flight-tracking services such as FlightAware . In general IATA codes are usually derived from
3050-683: The style LFddnn , where dd indicates the department while nn is a sequential counter. The French Federation of Ultralight Motorized Gliders was formally named the keeper of these codes. Aerodrome de Torreilles in France, for instance, has code LF6651. In Antarctica many aerodromes have pseudo ICAO-codes with AT and two digits, while others have proper codes from countries performing air control such as NZ for New Zealand . Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport ( / ˈ d ʌ l ɪ s / DUL -iss ) ( IATA : IAD , ICAO : KIAD , FAA LID : IAD )
3111-524: The two airports share runways and ground and air control facilities. In small countries like Belgium or the Netherlands, almost all aerodromes have an ICAO code. For larger countries like the UK or Germany this is not feasible, given the limited number of letter codes. Some countries have addressed this issue by introducing a scheme of sub-ICAO aerodrome codes; France, for example, assigns pseudo ICAO codes in
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#17327809271043172-634: The war, in 1948, the Civil Aeronautics Administration began to consider sites for a second major airport to serve the nation's capital. Congress passed the Washington Airport Act in 1950 to provide funding for a new airport in the region. The initial CAA proposal in 1951 called for the airport to be built in Fairfax County near what is now Burke Lake Park , but protests from residents, as well as
3233-409: The world. Increased domestic travel from Reagan National Airport has eroded some of Dulles's domestic routes. Dulles overtook Reagan in total enplanements in 2019. In 2018, however, Dulles surpassed Reagan in yearly passenger boardings after having fewer passengers since 2015. Furthermore, it still ranks behind BWI in total annual passenger boardings. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines and
3294-415: The years, however, causing Dulles to lose 200,000 passengers to Reagan between 2011 and 2013. In 2023, construction started on a 100 MW solar power facility, battery and bus charging equipment. It would include the largest airport-based solar and battery development in the U.S. as part of an agreement with Dominion Energy. The solar panels would cover more than 835 acres (338 ha) on land, equivalent to
3355-589: Was added on a new security mezzanine level of the main terminal. This checkpoint replaced previous checkpoints that were located behind the ticketing areas. Travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck and CLEAR still use this area to clear security. A separate security checkpoint is available on the baggage claim level for staff only, and previously had access for all passengers as the Dulles Diamond area. Both public security checkpoints connect to escalators to
3416-595: Was an overall 8.22 out of 10. Dulles originally used airport code DIA, the initials of Dulles International Airport. When handwritten, it was often misread as DCA, the code for Washington National Airport, so in 1968 Dulles's code was changed to IAD. The airport's terminal complex consists of a main terminal (which includes four of the original gates, "Z" gates), and two parallel midfield terminal buildings: Concourses A/B and C/D. The entire terminal complex has 139 total gates: 123 gates with jetways and 16 hardstand locations from which passengers can board or disembark using
3477-691: Was assigned both LLJR (its Israeli persona) as well as OJJR (its Jordanian persona), but the airport itself fell into disuse. In the contiguous United States and Canada, many airports have ICAO codes that are simply copies of their three-letter IATA codes, with the geographical prefix added on (e.g., YEG and CYEG both refer to Edmonton International Airport , while IAD and KIAD both refer to Washington Dulles International Airport ). This similarity does not extend to Alaska (PAxx), Hawaii (PHxx), or U.S. territories. Kahului Airport on Maui , for instance, has an IATA code of OGG and an ICAO code of PHOG. ICAO airport codes do not begin with I or J or X or Q, though
3538-421: Was built without any concourses and gates as all aircraft were parked at remote sites. Passengers were bussed to their aircraft by way of mobile lounges that raised up to the aircraft level, some are still in use today. The first midfield terminal that included gates and jetbridges was constructed in 1985 when New York Air and other airlines began hub operations at Dulles. In the 1990s, the main terminal at Dulles
3599-548: Was chosen by Eisenhower's aviation advisor Pete Quesada , who later served as the first head of the Federal Aviation Administration . As a result of the site selection, the unincorporated, largely African-American community of Willard , which once stood in the airport's current footprint, was demolished, and 87 property owners had their holdings condemned. Dulles was also built over a lesser-known airport named Blue Ridge Airport, chartered in 1938 by
3660-522: Was reconfigured to allow more space between the front of the building and the ticket counters. Additions at both ends of the main terminal more than doubled the structure's length. The original terminal at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, was modeled after the Saarinen terminal at Dulles. The design included a landscaped man-made lake to collect rainwater, a low-rise hotel, and
3721-461: Was slightly more than double its originally constructed length of 600 feet (180 m). On September 22, 2009, an expansion to include the 41,400 square feet (3,850 m ) International Arrivals Building opened for customs and immigration processing with a capacity to process 2,400 passengers per hour. Also in September 2009, a 121,700 square feet (11,310 m ) central security checkpoint
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