Definition
Three- or four-character codes assigned by the FAA (and ICAO internationally) to identify airports, navigation aids, and other fixed points used in flight planning, ATC communications, weather reports, and route descriptions. Examples include KORD for Chicago O'Hare, BUM for the Butler VOR, and KDEN for Denver International.
Plain English
Short letter codes that stand for airports and navigation points, used everywhere in flight planning and ATC instead of writing out the full name.
Context Anchor
Seen in preferred IFR route listings, flight plans, charts, and FAA route descriptions where a route must name exact airports or points.
Why Pilots Care
Using the correct codes ensures routes are understood exactly as intended and prevents routing mistakes.
Intuition Check
Do not read “location identifiers” as just any place name or description. In this context, it means an official aviation code assigned to a specific place or facility.
Example Sentence 1
The preferred IFR route was listed using location identifiers for each fix and airway along the way.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots check that all location identifiers on the flight plan match the intended departure and arrival points.