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SLAI logo, main terminal building (07-14)

Aleksandr International Airport logo displaying prominently its "SLAI" ICAO code.

The ICAO (/ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ/, "I-K-O") airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport in Second Life. The ICAO used in Second Life aviation is based on the real-life International Civil Aviation Organization airport code. All ICAO codes in Second Life begin with the prefix "SL" followed by two further letters.

Although primarily used in Second Life to designate airports, ICAO codes are also used to designate aircraft models and airlines. Aircraft utilize a four-digit alphanumeric code (for example the Embraer Phenom 300 has the ICAO code "E55P"), while airlines make use of a three-digit alphabetic code (for example, American Airlines has the code "AAL").[1]

Background

Airport ICAO codes

In real-life, ICAO codes are used by air traffic control and airline operations such as flight planning. They differ from IATA codes, which 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. Most travelers usually see the IATA code on baggage tags and tickets and the ICAO code is used among other things by pilots and air traffic control. In general IATA codes are usually derived from the name of the airport or the city it serves, while ICAO codes are distributed by region and country.

In Second Life, the ICAO airport code system is an amalgamation of both the ICAO and IATA systems. The simplified system is universally used by air traffic control, airline operations, and passengers alike. Also, unlike the real-life ICAO, the code is usually derived from the name of the airport (with the added prefix of SL - derived from "Second Life"). For example, the ICAO code for Hollywood Airport is "SLHA".

Owners of new or existing airports requiring an ICAO code are advised to check the official Second Life ICAO list and choose an available four-digit code (listed in green). Applicants are required to register their airport with wiki staff (please contact AndyTGD or Ananda Ghost for details) to prevent duplicate codes being used by several airports simulataneously. Airports intending to add an ATC bot to their facility are advised to wait until confirmation.

Exceptions

  • While "SL--" is the generally accepted convention, there have been exceptions to the rule. For example, Wiener Neustadt Airport goes by the ICAO "LOWN" (based on its real-life counterpart).
  • Since 2017 ICAO codes have been changed in the format of the first two initial letters established as "SL", being able to put THREE or FOUR letters of choice of the airport owner, as long as they are not offensive, and are not repeated in the list ; In case the owner is not present or does not know which code to choose, the mapper will put the most appropriate code to the airport.

See more

References

  1. Table IATA & ICAO Airline-Codes (English) (Website). flugzeuginfo.net. Retrieved on 2015-05-13.
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