The world's funniest airport codes you won't believe are real

Airport codes to make you giggle

With more than 9,000 airport codes issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there are some we recognise instantly, like JFK and LAX, but some airports have not been quite so lucky.

We take a look at some of the most comical, unconventional or unintentionally rude abbreviations given to airports across the world. Turns out you can even fly from HEL to CIA...

ATM: Altamira Airport, Brazil

Located in northern Brazil, this domestic airport serves the city of Altamira. While it's unclear whether cash withdrawals are available here, flights to cities like Belém, Manaus and Itaituba definitely are. The airport first opened in 1980 but underwent a major renovation in 2011 due to the opening of the nearby Belo Monte Dam.

DOH: Hamad International Airport, Qatar

Wouldn't it be just perfect if this was the airport code of Springfield? Officially abbreviated to Homer Simpson's favorite exclamation "doh", it's actually the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. Opened in 2014 to replace the nearby Doha International as the country's main airport, its most famous feature is a giant bronze statue of a teddy bear with its head in a lamp. One of three creations by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, it was purchased by the Qatari royal family at a Christie's auction for $6.8 million.

BOG: El Dorado International Airport, Colombia

You might think, when compared to others, BOG isn't even that funny, but apart from the name for a muddy wetland, it's also English slang for toilet, and no one wants to be flying in or out of a toilet. Although the full name of the airport is El Dorado Luis Carlos Galan Sarmient International Airport, the abbreviated code name actually comes from the city it serves – Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The busiest cargo airport in Latin America, it's also usually the third busiest in terms of passenger traffic, serving over 35 million flyers in 2019.

MAD: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, Spain

You'd be MAD to think this airport's interior isn't simply striking... Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport is most certainly one for architecture lovers. It’s designed by architectural duo Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers, who won the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize for the airport’s design.

BOO: Bodø Airport, Norway

BOO! Bodø Airport in Norway is not one for scaredy-cats. Located in the town of Bodø, the airport serves as a hub for regional airline flights to popular destinations like the Lofoten archipelago and Vesterålen. Interestingly, the airport was used as a Concorde testing site in 1975.

DAD: Da Nang International Airport, Vietnam

A fitting list to include a DAD joke, this is the airport code for the Da Nang International Airport in Vietnam. Funnily enough, there is also MOM – Letfotar Airport in Moudjeria, Mauritania.

DOG: Dongola Airport, Sudan

Unfortunately, we can't promise there will be dogs at Dongola Airport in Sudan. This airport serves Dongola, the capital city of the Northern state in Sudan. But where there are dogs...

CAT: Cascais Municipal Aerodrome, Portugal

... there are also sometimes cats. In this instance, it's the Cascais Municipal Aerodrome that gets to call itself CAT. Located west of Lisbon in the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, this regional airport has just one 460-foot runway and a terminal for 300 passengers. It's most commonly used by private jet passengers and flying schools.

BRR: Barra Airport, Scotland, UK

BRR is a pretty accurate abbreviation for an airport in the Outer Hebrides, where the annual average temperature doesn't exceed 10°C (50°F). Don’t expect a manicured, concrete landing strip here either – instead the planes make a descent onto the sugar sands of Tràigh Mhòr beach. An average of two flights a day usually arrive on the shoreline from Glasgow and it's said to be the only beach airport to operate scheduled flights. Take a look at more of the world's unique airports.

DIE: Arrachart Airport, Madagascar

We'll admit this one is pretty aggressive. You might be wondering why a boarding pass to the Arrachart Airport in Madagascar says DIE on it, but it's actually an abbreviation from its previous name Diego-Suárez. The airport is located near the city of Antsiranana in northern Madagascar.

PIE: St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, Florida, USA

Serving the Tampa Bay Area, this airport's official name is rather lengthy: St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport. They have, however, embraced their lovely airport code PIE and use it in their advertising slogan, 'Fly2PIE'. It's also pretty accurate as we're sure there are key lime pies aplenty in Florida...

BUS: Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport, Georgia

Don't be confused, you'll definitely be boarding a plane at this airport, despite its IATA code of BUS. Located just outside the city of Batumi on the coast of the Black Sea, Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport serves as a domestic and international airport for both Georgia and northeastern Turkey. It's only 12 miles (19km) from the Turkish city of Hopa.

FAB: Farnborough Airport, England, UK

Sadly, flying to FAB is not as fabulous as you'd expect. Primarily a business and private jet airport, it's also home to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and usually hosts an airshow every other year. The airport has had a couple of screen appearances though – in 2010 it featured in Inception while in 2008 it doubled up as an Austrian airport in James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

PEE: Perm International Airport, Russia

Another airport with a very unfortunate airport code is Perm International Airport in Russia. A joint civil-military airfield, it's both a commercial airport serving the city of Perm and houses some of the Russian Air Force's fighter and bomber planes.

FAT: Fresno Yosemite International Airport, California, USA

There are a few big things about California’s Fresno Yosemite International Airport – a life-sized, replica sequoia forest stands majestically in the airport’s central lobby. The airport serves as the gateway to California’s Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks where there are hiking, trekking, climbing, rafting and biking opportunities aplenty.

CIA: Rome–Ciampino International Airport G. B. Pastine, Italy

Sadly not an airport for spies, CIA, or Ciampino, is the secondary international airport serving Rome. Located some 7.5 miles (12km) from the city, the airport is served by various low-cost carriers like Ryanair and Wizzair. The airport's code comes from its location in Ciampino, while the airport is actually named after an Italian airship pilot Giovan Battista Pastine, who served in the First World War.

FUN: Funafuti International Airport, Tuvalu

Where better to jet off to than FUN? It's a solid indication of how your time in Tuvalu might be. The Funafuti International Airport is the sole airport on the South Pacific island and due to limited space, its runway doubles up as a common area for sporting and social activities, with sirens warning of an approaching plane. There are only two destinations travelers can fly to from here – Tarawa in Kiribati and Suva in Fiji.

BAH: Bahrain International Airport, Bahrain

Whether you use bah to express disagreement or as the acronym for "bored as hell" in text messages, it's not the best abbreviation to have as an airport code. In reality, the luxurious Bahrain International Airport serves as the hub of national carrier Gulf Air and has invested an impressive $1.1 billion in an expansion to increase the airport's capacity to 14 million passengers a year.

HEL: Helsinki–Vantaa Airport, Finland

"Welcome to your flight to HEL" isn't exactly what you want to hear when boarding an aircraft, but that's exactly what you get en route to Helsinki in Finland. The airport serves the Finnish capital and is a major transfer hub for destinations in Asia, as well as the main hub for Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland. Up until 2018, the especially brave were able to board flight AY666 to HEL on Friday the 13th. The number for the Finnair flight from Copenhagen has now been changed to AY954.

Now see how air travel has changed since the 1920s