Almost everyone who has flown East to West or vice-versa has flown via Dubai. In the first six months of this year, Dubai International Airport welcomed a record 44.9 million guests, an 8 percent growth over the same period last year. The airport also saw a 7.2 percent increase in flight movements to 216,000 during the period.
According to global travel data provider OAG, Dubai remains the busiest international airport in August according to seats flown. At 5.173 million seats, the airport is significantly ahead of second-placed London Heathrow with 4.268 million seats. Moreover, according to Airports Council International (ACI), Dubai has been the busiest international airport for the 10th year running.
Why is Dubai International Airport called DXB?
We know that DXB is the code for Dubai International Airport. This code has been given by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade body representing around 330 global airlines and over 80 percent of the global air traffic. IATA was founded in Havana, Cuba, in April 1945, and started with 57 members from 31 nations.
IATA has assigned three-letter codes to airports around the world in a standardized format, making it easier for airlines, travel agencies and passengers to communicate and process information. These codes are prominently displayed on baggage tags, boarding passes, airport signboards, etc.
Usually, the three-letter code resembles the name of the airport or the city, so that it’s easy to remember. However, that may not always be the case. Certain letters of the alphabet are reserved, so cities with names beginning with these letters may be assigned different codes.
Some instances of codes being named after the first three letters of the city include Delhi (DEL), Atlanta (ATL), Berlin (BER) and Singapore (SIN). There are also instances when the code is a combination of letters. For instance, Islamabad is ISB and Warsaw is WAW.
So why is Dubai called DXB?
Well, the code DUB was already taken by Dublin airport in Ireland, which began operations in the 1940s. Therefore, the letter X, sometimes used as a filler, was used to create the code DXB.
Where does the code OMDB come from?
IATA is not the only international body that assigns airport codes. Another international organization that assigns airport codes is International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations. Formed in 1944, the ICAO “helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit”.
Unlike IATA, ICAO assigns four-letter codes to airports. These codes are primarily used by pilots, air traffic control, and airline operations such as flight planning. ICAO codes are based on the region and the country of the airport. For instance, airports in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE all begin with the letter O. The code for Dubai is OMDB, while that for Abu Dhabi is OMAA. Al Ain has the code OMAL, while Fujairah has the code OMFJ. Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah have the codes OMRK and OMSJ, respectively.
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