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Aviation glossary

ICAO aircraft type designator

Also: ICAO type code, aircraft type designator, Doc 8643

Registration and rules

Code of up to four characters that ICAO assigns to each aircraft type for use in flight plans and air traffic control, such as A320 or B738.

What it is

ICAO publishes these designators in Document 8643, which is updated regularly. The code captures the model and sometimes the variant: A320 is the Airbus A320, B738 the Boeing 737-800, B77W the 777-300ER, A388 the A380-800 and AT76 the ATR 72-600. Each designator also carries a wake turbulence category, which controllers use to set the separation between aircraft.

The designator appears in the flight plan and on controllers' screens, and is widely used by flight tracking services. It should not be confused with IATA's three-character aircraft type codes (320, 738, 77W), which are used in timetables and reservations. A single aircraft family can have several ICAO designators, one for each variant that differs in size or performance.

On Vuelopedia

Where an aircraft's model was identified from its radar code, its record also shows the ‘ICAO type designator’.

Models

Related terms

VariantVersion of an aircraft model that keeps the basic design but changes features such as length, engines, range or intended role. Aircraft familyGroup of models from one manufacturer that share a basic design, flight deck and systems while differing in size, capacity or range. Flight planDetails of a flight filed with air traffic services before departure: aircraft, route, level, speed, estimated times, destination and alternate airports. Wake turbulenceSwirling air left behind an aircraft as it generates lift; its strength depends mainly on weight, and it dictates the spacing of the aircraft that follow. ICAOSpecialised agency of the United Nations that sets the standards and recommended practices for international civil aviation.
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). ICAO aircraft type designator. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator

MLA

“ICAO aircraft type designator.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “ICAO aircraft type designator.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) ICAO aircraft type designator. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_icao_aircraft_type_designator,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{ICAO aircraft type designator}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/icao-aircraft-type-designator |title=ICAO aircraft type designator |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

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