Which airport has IATA code SFO and ICAO KSFO?

Which airport has IATA code SFO and ICAO KSFO?

• A. Chicago O'Hare International Airport
• B. Los Angeles International Airport
• C. San Francisco International Airport
• D. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Answer: (C)

Understanding how IATA and ICAO codes relate helps explain this. The IATA code is the three-letter identifier you usually see on tickets and baggage tags, while the ICAO code is a four-letter designation used for flight planning and air traffic control. San Francisco International Airport has the IATA code SFO, and its ICAO code is KSFO—the K prefix is common for U.S. airports, followed by the same three-letter base as the IATA code. So the airport that uses both SFO and KSFO is San Francisco International Airport. The other listed airports use different IATA codes (ORD for O’Hare, LAX for Los Angeles, SEA for Seattle) and their ICAO codes (KORD, KLAX, KSEA), which don’t match KSFO.

Understanding how IATA and ICAO codes relate helps explain this. The IATA code is the three-letter identifier you usually see on tickets and baggage tags, while the ICAO code is a four-letter designation used for flight planning and air traffic control. San Francisco International Airport has the IATA code SFO, and its ICAO code is KSFO—the K prefix is common for U.S. airports, followed by the same three-letter base as the IATA code.

So the airport that uses both SFO and KSFO is San Francisco International Airport. The other listed airports use different IATA codes (ORD for O’Hare, LAX for Los Angeles, SEA for Seattle) and their ICAO codes (KORD, KLAX, KSEA), which don’t match KSFO.