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Do you know why and how an airline defines the number of a flight? An answer to a very interesting question, I'll tell you here.
Perhaps, Have you ever wondered how the number of the flight you are about to board is defined?, It is certainly an interesting topic., Although there is no exact rule, yes there are some parameters that allow us to understand that number.
First, Let's take a real life example.:
- Flight LP2471
Let's break it down into parts as the next step to understand what we're looking at:
- LP: IATA airline code, in this case it is LATAM Peru.
- 2471: the flight number between Mexico and Lima.
as we see, a flight number, contains information about the airline that operates it, This number has the following main characteristics:
- Flight number are made up of 1 a 4 digits.
- This number can be 1 al 9999.
let's keep going, Now that we understand how it is made, let's see the additional characteristics of a flight number:
- In the case of subsidiary airlines of a holding company, the first 2 digits correspond to your number within the airline organization.
- Airlines designate different groups of digits for domestic flights than international flights..
- The flight number ending in a pair generally corresponds to the outbound flight, while the odd to the return.
- Generally this assignment is even to the north and odd to the south., the return flight being many times one digit higher than the outward flight.
- The flight number can define a country, region or hours of operation, for instance:
- Flights CM127 and CM101, the first operates to Santa Cruz and the second to Cordoba, but they operate in the same time group, therefore share the digit 1, while the rest of digits describe country and city.
- Some airlines assign their flight numbers by importance, being the example flight AA1 more important in the network of destinations than an AA993.
- Assignment can be manual, automatic or by decision even commercial that airline systems predefine by destination.
Once we have a clear idea of why flight numbers are assigned, Let's see some specifics:
- Flight numbers from plane crashes are not reused.
- Airlines are careful when assigning flights to certain destinations, such as to China where the number 8 is considered lucky, so they try to use it more often or avoid using the 666 O 13.
- Some flights are assigned by particularities of X destination, as foundation date or up to the telephone code.
- Avoid using numbers that could cause confusion with an aircraft type.
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THE DESIGNATION OF AN AIRLINE FLIGHT NUMBER , IT IS DEFINED BY THE COMPANY'S PLANNING AND THIS CODING IS SENT TO THE AERONAUTICS, TO THE FUEL COMPANIES, TO THE CATERINS AND OTHER FLIGHT PLANS, TO EMPLOYEES FOR PAYROLL PAYMENTS, TO THE CREW, TO THE MECHANICS, TO INTERLINE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCES, SO IT IS A CORE OF THE COMPANY, FOR FISCAL AND FINANCIAL CONTROLS.
Thank you very much Alvaro for the additional contribution.
And on the other hand, what happens with the REGISTRATIONS OF SCRAPPED AIRCRAFT?
Because these can be REPEATED, for instance, If I'm looking for the registration of a 747-200 de Singapore Airlines (obviously scrapped) in jetphotos, I find that today 777-300 from the same airline takes it.
It is normal for many countries to recycle license plates, Given the high demand for these. For example, in Chile there are new aircraft from the factory that carry DC-3 aircraft registration plates., let's say as an example CC-BAA.
Electricity OFF-011 still used despite the accident 747 in Improved Field (MAD), and is from the same airline.
thanks john, a very nice feature. Do you know if they stopped using it for some time or did it always stay?
On the other hand, the flight AF447 damaged in 2009, flew from south to north, but it is an odd flight number… So those described patterns are not always fulfilled.
Of course, They are "trends" that generally apply, in others not. thanks for watching!
the LH 511 (EZE-FRA) AZ is also the exception to the rule 681 (EZE-FCO) also return flights 510 and 680 respectively
In Avianca Colombia, two flight numbers involved in accidents are still used… El AV11 FOOD BOOK, and the AV52 LIM-BOG… The AV11 was the incident of 1983 in Madrid, and the AV52 was the 1990 In New York.
The thing about not reusing plane crash flight numbers is a lie. Recently I wanted to go to Istanbul and the flight number was TK800 (Bogota- istanbul) and curiously I was reading about the accident of the twa 800 who inspired the final destination movie
Sebastian, but within the same airline, one was TW the other was the one you flew with TK, it's not a lie.
But they are two different airlines, the post refers to flight numbers within the same airline
Very good answer to an old question. Thanks!
Interesting,
Thanks!
I have an ALITALIA non-endorsed ticket and the Candelaria flight,They would take it for me to be able to return to Argentina. It is only one way. Thank you
Genial. Thank you
very illustrative and interesting
Everything that has to do with LATAM Brasilia to Chile interests me
GREAT
THANK YOU