Airline Codes & AWB Prefixes

Search airlines by name, IATA code, ICAO code, or AWB prefix

6,357 airlines · AWB prefix search · Free API

Data: IATA / ICAO airline code registries. How this is verified →

Independent verification pending. These reference values are compiled from published manufacturer, standard and regulatory sources — best-effort, with independent verification still pending. Confirm against the equipment plate, carrier or operator guide before operational use.

Verification coverage. Wave 1 (August 2026) worked the 399-record AWB/cargo subset — every carrier flagged as operating cargo or holding an AWB prefix, which is what freight desks actually look up. Of 6,357 records: 81 verified against carrier-published pages with per-field sources, 98 carriers confirmed as ceased, 217 audited but not cleared, and 5,961 never checked. The commonest reason a carrier stays unverified is that it does not publish its own AWB prefix anywhere we can cite — aggregators list those numbers, and we do not count them.

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This database is built and maintained with help from the freight community. Missing an airline or spotted an error? Let us know at contact@freightutils.com

Status:verified carrier-published + FAA-confirmed, per-field sourceshistorical ceased operationsunverified audited, not yet clearedunchecked never checked

Cargo Airlines

395 cargo airlines — page 1 of 8

…
AirlineIATAICAOAWB PrefixCountryTypeStatus
2GOPRBOI079PhilippinesCargounverified
7Air Cargo——567—Cargounverified
ABSA CargoM3LTG524549BrazilCargounverified
Adria AirwaysJPADR165SloveniaCargohistorical
Aegean AirlinesA3AEE390GreeceCargounverified
Aer LingusEIEIN053IrelandCargounverified
Aero-Charter UkraineDWUCR187UkraineCargounverified
Aero-ServiceBFRSR396Republic of the CongoCargounverified
Aero-Tropics Air ServicesHCATI490AustraliaCargohistorical
AeroflotSUAFL507555RussiaCargounverified
Aerolíneas ArgentinasARARG044ArgentinaCargounverified
AeroméxicoAMAMX139976MexicoCargounverified
AeromexpressQOMPX976MexicoCargohistorical
Aeromist-KharkivHTAHW877UkraineCargohistorical
Aerosvit AirlinesVVAEW870UkraineCargohistorical
Aerotransporte de Carga Union6RTNO873MexicoCargounverified
Africa AirwaysVJAFF978BeninCargohistorical
Africa WestFKWTA858TogoCargohistorical
African Safari AirwaysQSQSC797KenyaCargohistorical
Air AlgérieAHDAH124AlgeriaCargounverified
Air Alpha GreenlandGDAHA800DenmarkCargohistorical
Air ArabiaG9ABY049452514844United Arab EmiratesCargounverified
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi3LADY049United Arab EmiratesCargoverified
Air ArmeniaQNARR907ArmeniaCargohistorical
Air AstanaKCKZR465KazakhstanCargounverified
Air Atlanta IcelandicCCABD318IcelandCargounverified
Air BalticBTBTI657LatviaCargounverified
Air BerlinABBER745GermanyCargohistorical
Air CanadaACACA014CanadaCargoverified
Air Cargo Germany6UACX730891GermanyCargohistorical
Air CeylonAEAE803Sri LankaCargohistorical
Air Changan9H—856—Cargounverified
Air Chathams3CCVA—New ZealandCargoverified
Air ChinaCACCA999ChinaCargounverified
Air Class Líneas AéreasQDQCL510UruguayCargounverified
Air CorridorQCCRD040MozambiqueCargounverified
Air CorsicaXKCCM146FranceCargounverified
Air Côte d'Ivoire——483—Cargounverified
Air EuropaUXAEA996SpainCargoverified
Air FijiPCFAJ624FijiCargohistorical
Air FoyleGSUPA—United KingdomCargohistorical
Air FranceAFAFR057FranceCargounverified
Air GreenlandGLGRL631GreenlandCargoverified
Air Hong KongLDAHK288Hong KongCargounverified
Air IncheonKJAIH994South KoreaCargounverified
Air India LimitedAIAIC098IndiaCargounverified
Air Inuit3HAIE466CanadaCargoverified
Air JamaicaJMAJM201702JamaicaCargounverified
Air MacauNXAMU675MacaoCargounverified
Air MadagascarMDMDG258MadagascarCargounverified
IATA / ICAO airline code registrieschecked 2026-05-13pending-verification
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REST API
GET/api/airlines
View API documentation →

What Are Airline AWB Prefixes?

An Air Waybill (AWB) prefix is a three-digit code assigned by IATA to each airline that carries cargo. It forms the first three digits of every air waybill number and uniquely identifies the issuing carrier. For example, an AWB starting with 176 identifies an Emirates shipment, while 020 is Lufthansa Cargo.

When a freight forwarder or shipper books air cargo, the AWB prefix is essential for tracking, documentation, and carrier identification. Knowing the prefix allows operations teams to quickly identify which airline is carrying a shipment from the AWB number alone.

Understanding Airline Codes

Code TypeFormatExamplePurpose
IATA Code2 lettersEKTicketing, reservations, timetables
ICAO Code3 lettersUAEAir traffic control, flight plans
AWB Prefix3 digits176Air cargo waybill identification
CallsignVariableEMIRATESRadio communication with ATC

Airlines are identified by several different code systems, each serving a distinct purpose. IATA codes are two-letter designators used commercially — they appear on tickets, booking systems, and timetables. ICAO codes are three-letter designators used in air traffic control, flight plans, and operational contexts. The AWB prefix is specific to cargo operations and forms the first three digits of every air waybill number. Callsigns are used in radio communication between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AWB prefix?
An Air Waybill prefix is a three-digit number assigned by IATA to airlines with cargo operations. It forms the first three digits of every AWB number (e.g., 176-12345678 is an Emirates shipment). The prefix uniquely identifies the issuing carrier and is essential for cargo tracking and documentation.
How do I find an airline's AWB prefix?
Use the search above — enter the airline name, IATA code, or ICAO code and the AWB prefix will be shown if the airline has cargo operations. You can also search by prefix (e.g., enter “176” to find Emirates). Our API also supports programmatic lookups.
What is the difference between IATA and ICAO codes?
IATA codes are two-letter codes used commercially (on tickets, timetables, and booking systems). ICAO codes are three-letter codes used by air traffic control and in flight plans. For example, Emirates is EK (IATA) and UAE (ICAO). Most freight operations use IATA codes, while ICAO codes appear in operational contexts.
Do all airlines have AWB prefixes?
No. Only airlines with cargo operations have AWB prefixes assigned by IATA. Of the 6,357 airlines in our database, 392 have an AWB prefix on record (395 are marked as operating cargo, a handful of which have no prefix listed). Passenger-only carriers, regional operators, and defunct airlines typically do not have cargo prefixes.
Can I use this data via API?
Yes. The FreightUtils airline API is free, requires no authentication, and returns JSON. Use GET /api/airlines?q=emirates to search by name, ?iata=EK for IATA code, ?icao=UAE for ICAO code, or ?prefix=176 for AWB prefix lookup. Full documentation at /api-docs.

Common AWB Prefix Lookup

Quick reference for the most frequently searched air waybill prefixes.

176
Emirates
IATA: EK
006
Delta Air Lines
IATA: DL
074
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
IATA: KL
057
Air France
IATA: AF
020
Lufthansa
IATA: LH
125
British Airways
IATA: BA
160
Cathay Pacific
IATA: CX
235
Turkish Airlines
IATA: TK
618
Singapore Airlines
IATA: SQ
205
Cargolux
IATA: CV
📅Airline data — source last reviewed May 2026

Airline data from IATA / ICAO airline code registries. Verify current codes with your carrier or IATA.

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Data from IATA / ICAO airline code registries. Airline codes and AWB prefixes may change — always verify with the carrier for critical shipments. Last updated May 2026.