Metropolitan Area Airport Codes
NYC, LON, CHI — airport codes that appear on tickets but aren't real airports
When you search for flights, you may see airport codes like NYC, LON, or CHI that don't match any specific airport. These are IATA metropolitan area codes (also called "multi-airport city codes") — they represent a metropolitan area served by multiple airports rather than a single facility.
Airlines and booking engines use these codes to search all airports in a region at once. If you search NYC → LON, you'll see flights from JFK, LGA, and EWR to LHR, LGW, STN, LTN, LCY, and SEN. This is useful when you're flexible about which airport you use, but can be confusing when you expect a specific terminal or connection time.
Metropolitan area codes are assigned by IATA and are distinct from actual airport IATA codes. They typically consist of a 3-letter abbreviation of the city name that couldn't be assigned to a single airport because the city has multiple airports of comparable importance.
New York City
3 airports
Covers all three major New York area airports. EWR is in New Jersey.
London
6 airports
London is served by six airports. LHR is the main hub.
Chicago
2 airports
O'Hare (ORD) is the primary hub; Midway (MDW) is the secondary airport.
Washington D.C.
3 airports
DCA (Reagan) is closest to the city; IAD (Dulles) handles more international traffic.
Tokyo
2 airports
Haneda (HND) is closer to the city; Narita (NRT) handles much of the international traffic.
Osaka
3 airports
Kansai (KIX) is the main international airport; Itami (ITM) handles domestic flights.
Paris
3 airports
Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is the main hub; Orly (ORY) handles mostly European and domestic routes.
Milan
3 airports
Malpensa (MXP) is the main international airport; Linate (LIN) handles short-haul routes.
Buenos Aires
2 airports
Ezeiza (EZE) handles international flights; Aeroparque (AEP) handles domestic and regional routes.
São Paulo
3 airports
Guarulhos (GRU) is the main hub; Congonhas (CGH) is closer to the city and handles domestic routes.
Stockholm
4 airports
Arlanda (ARN) is the main hub; Bromma (BMA) handles short-haul routes.
Moscow
3 airports
Sheremetyevo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME), and Vnukovo (VKO) all serve Moscow.
How to Use Metropolitan Area Codes
When searching for flights
Using the metro code (NYC) will show you all flights from any airport serving that metro area. This is useful when you're flexible. Use the specific airport code (JFK, LGA, EWR) when you need to fly from a specific terminal or connection hub.
On your itinerary or ticket
If your ticket shows a metro code, your actual departure or arrival airport will always be printed separately. The metro code is a search convenience — it never appears as the actual operating airport on a boarding pass.