CHAPTER 4.

WORLD GEOGRAPHY
(E-LEARNING 02)

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By completing this Module, you will be able to:
 Describe the difference between an IATA Cargo Agent and a consolidator,
and their respective functions.
 Use the appropriate reference materials to name and locate countries and
principal cities worldwide.
 Identify IATA areas and sub-areas.
 Understand the principals of how transportation time is calculated.
 Discuss the history and importance of city codes.
 Code and de-code city and airport codes.

It includes the following lessons:

 Unit 4.1: Geography and IATA Three-Letter Codes
 Unit 4.2: IATA Areas and Sub-areas
 Unit 4.3: Time Differences
 Unit 4.4: Calculation of Transportation Time

1/44
 4.1. GEOGRAPHY AND IATA THREE-LETTER
CODES
By completing this Unit, you will be able to:
 Discuss the history and importance of city and airport codes.
 Code and de-code city and airport codes.
4.1.1 Coding and De-Coding Three-Letter City and Airport Codes
Coding and de-coding three-letter city codes are easy. Each major city has at
least one airport and some have more than one.
The full name of the origin and destination airports are reflected on the air
waybill as well as the three letter airport code for origin, destination and if
applicable, transit airports.
What is the difference between a city and an airport code?
Generally the three-letter city code is the same for the airport and the city. Some
larger cities have more than one airport, so each airport gets a code, and the city
may also have its own code. Alternatively, in cities where there are multiple
airports, the city may also use the code that is assigned to its main airport.
For example, LON is the city code for London, UK, whereas LHR is the airport
code for London Heathrow, and LGW is the airport code for London Gatwick.
IST is the city code for Istanbul, Turkey as well as the code for Istanbul Airport.
Additionally, SAW is the airport code for Sabiha Gokcen Airport and ISL is the
airport code for Atatürk Airport which are also located in Istanbul.
Orlando, FL in the USA has a city code of ORL. Airport codes that are applicable
in this city are ISM, MCO, ORL, SFB.
Coding and decoding of cities and airports may also be performed on the IATA
website at: http://www.iata.org/publications/Pages/code-search.aspx.
Advantages of city/airport codes
 The city/airport codes help the cargo agents in being absolutely clear. They
are understood the same way and convey the same information anywhere
in the world. E.g. the city code BLR, whether it is being used in Mexico, Malta
or Malaysia will always be understood to be the city of Bengaluru in India
 The city/airport codes also help the cargo agents and airlines to be specific
and to avoid confusion while dispatching their cargo. E.g. when a shipment
is to be sent to London, which London are we referring to? Because there is
2/44
 a London in Great Britain, there is also a London in Ontario, Canada and
one more London in Kentucky, USA. In such a case, confusion can be
avoided by using the code LON for London in Great Britain, YXU for London
in Canada and LOZ for London in USA.
4.1.2 Lists of Airport and City Codes
Section 4.1.2 contains lists of countries and principal cities of the world in the
following order:
4.1.2.1 North America
4.1.2.2 Central America
4.1.2.3 South America
4.1.2.4 Europe
4.1.2.5 Africa
4.1.2.6 Middle East
4.1.2.7 Asia
4.1.2.8 Australia and the Pacific
These lists indicate the IATA 3-letter codes for major cities and their airports.
The codes are in current use by airlines and cargo agents and most of them can
be memorized easily. They are established by IATA and are listed in most carriers'
publications.
Most cities included in the following lists have what is known as a Customs
Airport, i.e. an airport with Customs clearance facilities. These lists consist of major
cities. The complete list of city and airport codes may be found TACT Rules,
Section 1.2 Details for all customs airports may be found in TACT Rules, Section
7, “Information by Countries”, under the appropriate country heading.
Airport names are given either in the case of cities which have several major
airports or where the airport for a city is identified by a different code.
In the city code lists, the country names are followed by the International
Standards Organization (ISO) country codes.
For the following countries only, the names of the state/provinces (with their
ISO two-letter codes) are shown after the cities: Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Canada and the USA.

3/44
 There are several countries that are geographically located in North Africa, but
are considered for IATA tariff purposes as being part of “within Europe sub-area”
or “within Middle East sub-area”. TACT Rules 1.2.2 provides definitions of IATA
Areas and other definitions, for example ECAA (European Common Aviation Area
and related States/Territories).
4.1.2.1. North America
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
ANTIGUA (AG)
Antigua ANU
BAHAMAS (BS)
Freeport FPO
Nassau NAS
BARBADOS (BB)
Bridgetown BGI
BERMUDA
Hamilton BDA
CANADA (CA)
Calgary, Alberta (AL) YYC
Edmonton, Alberta (AL) YEA
Halifax, Nova Scotia (NS) YHZ
Montreal, Quebec (QU) YMQ Pierre Elliott Trudeau YUL
Mirabel YMX
Ottawa, Ontario (OT) YOW
Toronto, Ontario (OT) YTO Pearson International YYZ
Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) YVR
Winnipeg, Manitoba (MN) YWG
CAYMAN ISLANDS (KY)
Grand Cayman GCM
CUBA (CU)

4/44
Havana HAV
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DO)
Santo Domingo SDQ
FRENCH WEST INDIES
Fort de France, Martinique (MQ) FDF
Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe (GP) PTP
HAITI (HT)
Port au Prince PAP
JAMAICA (JM)
Kingston KIN
Montego Bay MBJ
MEXICO (MX)
Acapulco ACA
Guadalajara GDL
Mexico City MEX
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES (AN)
Curacao CUR
SAINT LUCIA (LC)
St. Lucia SLU
TRINIDAD and TOBAGO (TT)
Port of Spain POS
UNITED STATES - USA (US)
Anchorage, Alaska (AK) ANC
Atlanta, Georgia (GA) ATL
Baltimore, Maryland (MD) BWI
Boston, Massachusetts (MA) BOS
Charlotte, North Carolina (NC) CLT
Chicago, Illinois (IL) CHI Midway MDW
O’Hare ORD

5/44
 Cleveland, Ohio (OH) CLE
Dallas, Texas (TX) DFW
Denver, Colorado (CO) DEN
Detroit, Michigan (MI) DTT Metropolitan Wayne Co. DTW
Honolulu, Hawaii (HI) HNL
Houston, Texas (TX) HOU Hobby Airport HOU
George Bush Intercontinental IAH
Los Angeles, California (CA) LAX
Miami, Florida (FL) MIA
Minneapolis, Minnesota (MN) MSP
New Orleans, Louisiana (LA) MSY
New York, New York (NY) NYC John F. Kennedy JFK
La Guardia LGA
Newark EWR
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA) PHL
St. Louis, Missouri (MO) STL
San Francisco, California (CA) SFO
San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR) SJU
Seattle, Washington (WA) SEA
St. Croix, Virgin Islands (VI) STX
Washington, District of
Columbia (DC) WAS Dulles International lAD
Ronald Reagan DCA
4.1.2.2. Central America
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
BELIZE (BZ)
Belize BZE

6/44
COSTA RICA (CR)
San Jose SJO
EL SALVADOR (SV)
San Salvador SAL
GUATEMALA (GT)
Guatemala City GUA
HONDURAS (HN)
Tegucigalpa TGU
NICARAGUA (NI)
Managua MGA
PANAMA (PA)
Panama City PTY
4.1.2.3. South America
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
ARGENTINA (AR)
Buenos Aires BUE Ministro Pistarini EZE
Aeroparque Jorge
Newbery AEP
Cordoba COR
BOLIVIA (BO)
La Paz LPB
BRAZIL (BR)
Brasilia, Distrito Federal (DF) BSB
Manaus, Amazonas (AM) MAO
Recife, Pernambuco (PE) REC
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) RIO Galeao GIG
Santos Dumont SDU
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (SP) SAO Congonhas CGR
Guarulhos GRU
7/44
 Viracopos VCP
CHILE (CL)
Santiago de Chile SCL
COLOMBIA (CO)
Barranquilla BAQ
Bogota BOG
ECUADOR (BC)
Guayaquil GYE
Quito UIO
FRENCH GUIANA (GF)
Cayenne CAY
GUYANA (GY)
Georgetown GEO
PARAGUAY (PY)
Asuncion ASU
PERU (PE)
Lima LIM
SURINAME (SR)
Paramaribo PBM
URUGUAY (UY)
Montevideo MVD
VENEZUELA (VE)
Caracas CCS
Maracaibo MAR
4.1.2.4. Europe
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
ALBANIA (AL)
Tirana TIA

8/44
ALGERIA (DZ)
Algiers ALG
Oran ORN
ARMENIA (AM)
Yerevan EVN
AUSTRIA (AT)
Vienna VIE
AZERBAIJAN (AZ)
Baku BAK
BELARUS (BY)
Minsk MSQ
BELGIUM (BE)
Brussels BRU
BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (BA)
Sarajevo SJJ
BULGARIA (BG)
Sofia SOF
CROATIA (HR)
Zagreb ZAG
CYPRUS (CY)
Nicosia NIC
Larnaca LCA
CZECH REPUBLIC (CZ)
Prague PRG
DENMARK (DK)
Copenhagen CPH
ESTONIA (EE)
Tallinn TLL

9/44
FINLAND (FI)
Helsinki HEL
FRANCE (FR)
Bordeaux BOD
Lyon LYS
Marseille MRS
Nice NCE
Paris PAR Charles de Gaulle CDG
Le Bourget LBG
Orly ORY
GEORGIA (GE)
Tbilisi TBS
GERMANY (DE)
Berlin BER Schoenefeld SXF
Tegel TXL
Cologne CGN
Dresden DRS
Dusseldorf DUS
Frankfurt FRA
Hamburg HAM
Munich MUC
Stuttgart STR
GIBRALTAR (GI)
Gibraltar GIB
GREECE (GR)
Athens ATH
HUNGARY (HU)
Budapest BUD

10/44
ICELAND (IS)
Reykjavik REK

IRELAND (IE)
Dublin DUB
Shannon SNN
ITALY (IT)
Milan MIL Linate LIN
Malpensa MXP
Naples NAP
Rome ROM Ciampino CIA

Leonardo da Vinci
(Fiumicino) FCO
Turin TRN
Venice VCE
KOSOVO (XK)
Pristina (PRN) RIX
LATVIA (LV)
Riga RIX
LITHUANIA (LT)
Vilnius VNO
LUXEMBOURG (LU)
Luxembourg LUX
MACEDONIA (MK)
Skopje SKP
MALTA (MT)
Valletta MLA
MOLDOVA (MD)
Chisinau (Kishinev) KIV

11/44
MONTENEGRO (ME)
Podgorica TGD
MOROCCO (MA)
Casablanca CAS Mohammed V CMN
Tangier TNG
NETHERLANDS (NL)
Amsterdam AMS
Rotterdam RTM
NORWAY (NO)
Bergen BGO
Oslo OSL
POLAND (PL)
Warsaw WAW
PORTUGAL (PT)
Lisbon LIS
ROMANIA (RO)
Bucharest BUH Henri Coanda (Otopeni) OTP
RUSSIA (in Europe) (RU)
Moscow MOW Domodedovo DME
Sheremetyevo SVO
Vnukovo VKO
St. Petersburg LED
SERBIA (RS)
Belgrade BEG
SLOVAK REPUBLIC (SK)
Bratislava BTS

12/44
SLOVENIA (SI)
Ljubljana LJU
SPAIN (ES)
Barcelona BCN
Las Palmas, Canary Islands LPA
Madrid MAD
Malaga AGP
Palma de Mallorca PMI
Tenerife, Canary Islands TCI
SWEDEN (SE)
Gothenburg GOT
Stockholm STO
SWITZERLAND (CH)
Geneva GVA
Zurich ZRH
TUNISIA (TN)
Tunis TUN
TURKEY (TR)
Ankara ANK
Istanbul IST
UKRAINE (UA)
Kiev IEV
UNITED KINGDOM (GB)
Belfast BFS
Birmingham BHX
Edinburgh EDI
Glasgow GLA
London LON Gatwick LGW
Heathrow LHR

13/44
 London City; LCY
Luton International LTN
Stansted STN
Manchester MAN
4.1.2.5. Africa
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
ANGOLA (AO)
Luanda LAD
BENIN (BJ)
Cotonou COO
BOTSWANA (BW)
Gaborone GBE
BURKINA FASO (BF)
Ouagadougou OUA
BURUNDI (BI)
Bujumbura BJM
CAMEROON (CM)
Douala DLA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CF)
Bangui BGF
CHAD (TD)
Ndjamena NDJ
COMOROS (KM)
Moroni YVA Prince Said Ibrahim HAH
CONGO, Democratic Republic (CD)
Kinshasa FIH
CONGO (CG)
Brazzaville BZV

14/44
COTE D'IVOIRE (CI)
Abidjan ABJ
DJIBOUTI (DJ)
Djibouti JIB
EQUATORIAL GUINEA (GQ)
Bata BSG
ERITREA (ER)
Asmara ASM
ETHIOPIA (ET)
Addis Ababa ADD
GABON (GA)
Libreville LBV
GAMBIA (GM)
Banjul BJL
GHANA (GH)
Accra ACC
GUINEA (GN)
Conakry CKY
GUINEA-BISSAU (GW)
Bissau OXB
KENYA (KE)
Mombasa MBA
Nairobi NBO
LIBERIA (LR)
Monrovia MLW
LIBYAN (LY)
Benghazi BEN
Tripoli TIP

15/44
MADAGASCAR (MG)
Antananarivo TNR
MALAWI (MW)
Blantyre BLZ
Lilongwe LLW
MALI (ML)
Bamako BKO
MAURITANIA (MR)
Nouakchott NKC
MAURITIUS (MU)
Port Louis MRU
MOZAMBIQUE (MZ)
Beira BEW
Maputo MPM
NAMIBIA (NA)
Windhoek WDH
NIGER (NE)
Niamey NIM
NIGERIA (NG)
Kano KAN
Lagos LOS
REUNION (RE)
St. Denis RUN
RWANDA (RW)
Kigali KGL
SENEGAL (SN)
Dakar DKR
SEYCHELLES (SC)
Mahe SEZ

16/44
SIERRA LEONE (SL)
Freetown FNA
SOMALIA (SO)
Mogadishu MGQ
SOUTH AFRICA (ZA)
Capetown CPT
Durban DUR
Johannesburg JNB
SWAZILAND (SZ)
Manzini MTS
TANZANIA (TZ)
Dar Es Salaam DAR
TOGO (TO)
Lome LFW
UGANDA (DO)
Entebbe EBB
ZAMBIA (ZM)
Lusaka LUN
Ndola NLA
ZIMBABWE (ZW)
Harare HRE
4.1.2.6. Middle East
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
BAHRAIN (BH)
Manama BAH
EGYPT (EG)
Alexandria ALY Borg el Arab HBE
Cairo CAI

17/44
IRAN (IR)
Tehran THR
IRAQ (IQ)
Baghdad BGW
Basra BSR
ISRAEL (IL)
Tel Aviv TLV
JORDAN (JO)
Amman AMM
KUWAIT (KW)
Kuwait KWI
LEBANON (LB)
Beirut BEY
OMAN (OM)
Muscat MCT
QATAR (QA)
Doha DOH
SAUDI ARABIA (SA)
Dammam DMM
Jeddah JED
Riyadh RUH
SOUTH SUDAN (SD)
Juba KRT
SUDAN (SD)
Khartoum KRT
SYRIA (SY)
Damascus DAM
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AE)
Abu Dhabi AUH

18/44
Dubai DXB International DXB
Al Maktoum International DWC
YEMEN (YE) Republic of
Aden ADE
Sanaa SAH
4.1.2.7. Asia
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
AFGHANISTAN (AF)
Kabul KBL
BANGLADESH (BD)
Dhaka DAC
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM (BN)
Bandar Seri Begawan BWN
CAMBODIA (KH)
Phnom-Penh PNH
CHINA (CN)
Guangzou (Canton) CAN
Beijing (Peking) BJS Capital Airport PEK
Shanghai SHA Hongqiao International SHA
Pudong International PVG
HONG KONG (SAR) (HK)
Hong Kong HKG
INDIA (IN)
Mumbai BOM
Kolkata CCU
Delhi DEL
Chennai MAA
Bangalore BLR

19/44
INDONESIA (ID)
Jakarta JKT
JAPAN (JP)
Osaka OSA
Tokyo TYO Haneda HND
Narita NRT
KAZAKHSTAN (KZ)
Almaty ALA
KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC (KP)
Pyongyang FNJ
KOREA REPUBLIC (KR)
Seoul SEL Incheon International ICN
KYRGYZSTAN (KG)
Bishkek FRU
LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (LA)
Vientiane VTE
MALAYSIA (MY)
Kuala Lumpur KUL
MALDIVES (MV)
Male MLE
MONGOLIA (MN)
Ulan Bator ULN
MYANMAR (MM)
Yangon RGN
NEPAL (NP)
Kathmandu KTM
PAKISTAN (PK)
Karachi KHI
Lahore LHE

20/44
PHILIPPINES (PH)
Manila MNL
RUSSIAN (in Asia) (XU)
Moscow MOW
SINGAPORE (SG)
Singapore SIN
SRI LANKA (LK)
Colombo CMB
TAJIKISTAN (TJ)
Dushanbe DYU
CHINESE TAIPEI (TW)
Taipei TPE
THAILAND (TH)
Bangkok BKK
TURKMENISTAN (TM)
Ashgabat ASB
UZBEKISTAN (UZ)
Tashkent TAS
VIETNAM (VN)
Hanoi HAN
Ho-Chi-Minh City SGN
4.1.2.8. Australia and the Pacific
COUNTRY
City, Province Code Airport Code
AMERICAN SAMOA (AS)
Pago Pago PPG
AUSTRALIA (AU)
Adelaide, South Australia (SA) ADL
Brisbane, Queensland (QL) BNE

21/44
Canberra, Capital Territory (AC) CBR
Darwin, Northern Territory (NT) DRW
Melbourne, Victoria (VI) MEL
Perth, Western Australia (WA) PER
Sydney, New South Wales (NS) SYD
FIJI (PJ)
Nadi NAN
FRENCH POLYNESIA (PF)
Papeete, Tahiti PPT
GUAM (GU)
Guam GUM
NEW CALEDONIA (NC)
Noumea NOU
NEW ZEALAND (NZ)
Auckland AKL
Christchurch CHC
PAPUA NEW GUINEA (PO)
Port Moresby POM
SAMOA (WS)
Apia APW
SOLOMON ISLANDS (SB)
Honiara HIR
TONGA (TO)
Nuku' Alofo TBU
VANUATU (VU)
Port Villa VLI
When cargo agents take notes, fill out forms, use computer reservations
systems and reconcile administration of bookings, they use standard three-letter
city codes.

22/44
 An air cargo agent or an air cargo professional will use the three-letter city
codes often. When using a computer reservations system or completing a cargo
air waybill, the three-letter city codes are used to indicate the origin, destination
and if applicable, transit point to which the customer's goods will be traveling. The
full name of the origin and destination airport and three-letter code must be used
on the air waybill.
Each major city has at least one airport and some have more than one. For
cities that have more than one airport or cities which are major transport hubs,
there may be more than one three-letter city/airport code.

23/44
 4.2 IATA AREAS AND SUB-AREAS
By completing this Unit, you will be able to:
 List and define IATA areas and sub-areas.
 Explain how the areas and sub-areas differ from geographic terms.
4.2.1 IATA Areas
The main IATA Areas are:
IATA Area 1
 All of the North and South American continent and the adjacent islands
 Greenland
 Bermuda
 The West Indies and the islands of the Caribbean Sea
 The Hawaiian Islands (including Midway and Palmyra)
IATA Area 2
 All of Europe (including the European part of Russia) and the adjacent
islands
 Iceland
 The Azores
 All of Africa and the adjacent islands
 Ascension Island
 That part of Asia lying west of and including Iran
IATA Area 3
 All of Asia, and the adjacent islands, except that portion included in IATA
Area 2
 The East Indies
 Australia, New Zealand and the adjacent islands
 The islands of the Pacific Ocean except those included in Area 1

24/44
Reference
TACT Rules, Section 1.2.2, Definitions of Areas
4.2.2 ATA Sub-Areas
IATA areas have been further divided into smaller sub-areas or regions:
IATA Area 1 Sub-Areas
 Caribbean (Islands), Mexico, Long haul, South America
IATA Area 2 Sub-Areas
 Europe, Africa, Middle East
IATA Area 3 Sub-Areas
 South Asian subcontinent, South East Asia, South West Pacific,
Japan/Korea
These sub-areas, in the IATA context, may have a different meaning from that
generally implied by the geographical term. For definitions of these sub-areas,
refer to TACT Rules, Section 1.2.2.

25/44
 Example 1
The IATA definition of Europe comprises not only geographical Europe but
includes also the following countries, parts of countries and islands:
 3 North African countries, i.e. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
 The Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands
 Turkey (the Asian and European part) and Russia (the part in Europe)
Thus, cities like Casablanca, Algiers, Tunis, Las Palmas and Ankara are all
situated within the IATA Europe sub-area.
Example 2
Although Egypt and Sudan are situated geographically on the African continent,
these countries are included in the IATA Middle East sub-area.
IATA areas and sub-areas are used to determine fares and rates and their
application. The areas and sub-areas do not always coincide with the accepted
geographical definitions.
This Unit should be consulted whenever you have any doubt about the precise
meaning of any definition used in the tariff.
The main purpose of knowing the IATA Areas is to prepare ourselves to be able
to calculate the rates for “special cargo” when we come to Module 10 of this course.

26/44
 4.3 TIME DIFFERENCES
By completing this Unit, you will be able to:
 Use OAG (formerly, Official Airline Guide) International Time Chart to
calculate time difference between two city airports.
 Use TACT to determine a country's time difference from Universal Time
Coordinated.
 Determine the date and time at which the cargo will arrive at its destination
airport.
 Explain the difference between standard time and daylight saving time.
 Explain the term Greenwich Mean Time and Universal Time Coordinated.
 Express times in both 24-hour and 12-hour clock systems.

4.3.1 Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time

With the objective of standardizing the manner in which each country's local
time is expressed, the world is divided into 24 time zones, each of 15° Longitude.
The time difference between one zone and the next is exactly one hour.
The time zone that serves as the point of reference or origin of this system is
situated between 7° 30’ longitude west and 7° 30’ longitude east of the Greenwich
meridian (longitude 0°). The time in this zone is called Greenwich Mean Time, or
simply GMT. In some publications, GMT is noted as “UTC - Universal Time
Coordinated”. GMT/UTC may also be referred to as Zulu. Airline operations
departments may issue messages indicating a time followed by the letter “Z” which
is an abbreviation for ZULU. The origin of Z is due to GMT/UTC being based on
the Prime Meridian (0 Longitude). Due to their important role in selling air
transportation, air cargo agents may require training in selling, marketing, product
knowledge, customer relations etc. from time to time.

27/44
 The time in all other zones can thus be expressed by referring to Greenwich
Mean Time or Universal Time Coordinated.
Example:
GMT + 1 hour or UTC + 1 hour (1 hour ahead of GMT/UTC)
GMT - 1 hour or UTC - 1 hour (1 hour behind GMT/UTC)
up to GMT/UTC + 12 and GMT/UTC - 12.
This diagram illustrates a scale of hours relative to GMT/UTC.

Key Learning Point

Each of the blocks represents one hour. When trying to work out the difference
between two points on the scale, count the number of hours between them.
This theoretical system has had to be adapted, in certain cases, in order to
maintain the same local time within national boundaries or groups of islands. Such
local time, fixed by law, is called “Standard Clock Time” or “Standard Time”.
28/44
 Certain countries modify their standard time during the summer by advancing
it an hour or a fraction of an hour. This temporary change is called “Daylight Saving
Time” or “DST”.
Airline company timetables are generally based on the 24-hour clock. However
airlines in some countries, including the U.S., use the 12-hour clock system.
Time Charts are published in all major Airline Guides. The International Time
Charts reproduced on the following pages have been extracted from the OAG
Guide, the use of which will be explained in detail in Module 4 of this training
course.
Airline company timetables are generally based on the 24-hour clock.

Certain countries, however, such as the U.S., use another method. This
consists of dividing the day into two 12-hour periods, in which case the carriers'
time-tables are based on this system. It is essential, therefore, to know how to
convert times from one system to the other before attempting to deal with the
question of time differences.
The following table compares the two systems. In the 24-hour clock system,
times are expressed from 0001 to 2400, while the 12-hour periods are expressed
in “before noon” times (abbreviated “a.m.” from the Latin “ante meridiem”) and
“after noon” times (abbreviated “p.m.” from the Latin “post meridiem”).

29/44
 All examples and exercises in this Unit are based on the OAG International
Time Calculator which appears in figure 3.3.1c below. Reference will always be
made to GMT instead of GMT and UTC.
The time charts contain a list of countries with an indication against each
country of its standard time in relation to GMT.
In countries where the “Daylight Saving Time” (DST) applies during certain
periods of the year, such time is specified, together with the periods during which
it applies.
TACT Rules 7.3 Country Information provides the details on
 Number of hours plus or minus UTC
 Beginning and ending dates for daylight savings time (if observed).
Standard Time is expressed in hours ahead of (+) or behind (-) GMT.
There are several time calculators on the internet. One example is
https://www.timeanddate.com
Choose Time Zone Time Difference to find the difference in time between point
A and point B.
Choose Calculators Travel Time Calculator to determine the elapsed time from
point A to point B.

30/44
31/44
32/44
 The following examples illustrate the OAG international time system:
Example 1
What is the local time in Addis Ababa (ADD), Ethiopia when it is 12:00
hours GMT?
In Ethiopia the standard time is GMT + 3 all year round. This means that the
local time is three hours ahead of GMT. Therefore, the local time in Addis Ababa
is 15:00 hours when it is 12:00 GMT.

Example 2
What is the local time in Asuncion (ASU), Paraguay on 1st August when
it is 12:00 hours GMT?
The chart indicates that in Paraguay the standard time of GMT is–4 (the daylight
saving time of GMT–3 applies during the period of October 2 to April 7). So, local
time on August 1 is four hours behind GMT. It is therefore, 08:00 hours in Asuncion
when it is 12:00 hours GMT.

33/44
 Example 3
What is the local time in Damascus (DAM), Syria on the 10th July when it
is 12:00 GMT?
Here, it is indicated that in Syria the daylight savings time of GMT + 3 applies
during the period of April 1 to October 25. Therefore, the local time is three hours
ahead of GMT, meaning that it is 15:00 hours in Damascus when it is 12:00 GMT.

Example 4
In everyday work, it is often necessary to determine time difference between
two places, neither of which is on GMT.
For instance, what is the local time in Frankfurt (FRA), Germany when it
is 15:00 hours local time in Tokyo (TYO), Japan on March 20?
In Germany, on March 20 the local time corresponds with standard time, which
is GMT + 1. In Japan, the local time is GMT + 9.
This means that the local time in Frankfurt is 8 hours (9–1 = 8) behind that of
Tokyo. It is, therefore, necessary to subtract 8 hours from the local time in Tokyo
(15:00 hours) to arrive at the local time in Frankfurt, that is, 07:00 hours on the
same day.

34/44
 Example 5
In very large countries whose territories spread over several time zones, such
as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greenland, Indonesia, the Russian Federation and
the USA, several different standard times have been established for application in
determined areas or states.
The names of these multi-time zone countries are followed in the OAG
International Time Calculator by two asterisks (**).
In the USA the standard time is GMT–5 in the Eastern Time Zone, whereas it
is GMT–8 in the Pacific Time Zone.

35/44
 The time difference between two points can be determined as follows:
A. If the local time at both points is ahead of the GMT (GMT +) or behind GMT
(GMT -), Subtract the smaller from the larger figure.
Example: GMT + 2 and GMT + 10 = 10 minus 2 = 8 hours difference
B. If the local time is ahead of GMT (GMT +) at one point and behind GMT
(GMT -) at the other, Add both figures together
Example: GMT + 2 and GMT–5 = 2 plus 5 = 7 hours difference
Example 6
The local time in Tokyo (TYO), Japan is 18:30 hours on March 1. What is the
local time and date in Sydney (SYD), NS, Australia?

36/44
 TYO GMT + 9
SYD New South Wales GMT + 11 (Daylight Saving Time)
As the local time at both points is ahead of GMT (GMT +), we subtract the
smaller from the larger figure.
SYD GMT + 11
TYO GMT + 9
Difference: 2 hours
The local time in Sydney is 2 hours ahead (+) of Tokyo.
So, 18:30 hours + 2 hours = 20:30 hours on the same day (1st March).

37/44
4.3.2 International Date Line
Crossing the International Date Line makes matters more complicated because
travelers and cargo either gain or lose a day during the process. When a client's
cargo crosses the International Date Line traveling west, a day is lost as the day
changes to the following day–Wednesday would immediately become Thursday.
Traveling in the opposite direction has the opposite effect. So cargo crossing
the International Date Line traveling east gains a day. In other words, Thursday
becomes Wednesday.
It should be noted that the time of day (except at midnight) means nothing. A
client could cross the date line at 3 p.m. or 2 a.m. and it has no effect on time of
day. The only difference is the date–the hour remains the same.
The International Date Line is an imaginary north-south line through the Pacific
Ocean, east and west of which the date differs (east being one day earlier).

The International Date Line must be considered as a wall that cannot be

crossed when calculating time differences.
All calculations must always be done by using the GMT/UTC time zone as the
reference.
The following example should help clarify matters. If your cargo departs on
Tuesday morning and travels from Honolulu to Tokyo, it would arrive after a nine-
hour flight.

38/44
 But it would be Wednesday in Tokyo because the cargo crossed the
International Date Line. Conversely, if the cargo leaves Tokyo on Sunday morning
and returns to Honolulu, it will arrive on Saturday because now it crossed the date
line travelling west to east.
However, if the cargo departs later in the day and crosses the date line, matters
can be trickier. For example, if the cargo leaves Honolulu at 11 p.m. for Tokyo on
Thursday it becomes Friday one hour after departure, and the cargo has not even
crossed the date line yet. Later on Friday, it crosses the date line and
instantaneously it becomes Saturday! So the cargo that left mid-week arrives on
the weekend after a 9-hour flight.
These types of time change considerations are particularly important to the
businesses when perishable cargo is involved or when time sensitive cargo is
involved.
Although calculation of time zones can be complicated, most airline schedules
give arrival times that are already adjusted for time-zone crossings and gained or
lost days. Similarly, a cargo agent's computer reservations system may list the
elapsed flying times of the scheduled flights.
Read the following examples. They will give you a better understanding of
calculating time differences involving the International Date Line.

39/44
 Example 1
The distance between Nadi, Fiji (NAN) and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (HNL) is
only 5,090 km, but when it is Monday in Nadi, it is Sunday in Honolulu.
The standard time difference between these two locations is 22 hours.
NAN GMT + 12
HNL GMT–10
Difference: 22 hours
The local time in Nadi is 22 hours ahead of Honolulu. Fiji Summer Time is
observed.
When the local time in Honolulu is 3:00 hours on Sunday, the local time in Nadi
is 1:00 on Monday.
Daylight savings time is observed from the first Sunday in November until the
third Sunday in January. During this period the time in NAN is GMT +13.

Nadi and Honolulu are separated by the International Date Line. When
calculating the time difference between these two cities, the International Date Line
cannot be crossed. The calculation must be done using GMT/UTC.
When the date line is physically crossed eastbound, for example from Nadi to
Honolulu on Monday, a day is “gained” as the arrival in Honolulu will take place on
Sunday.
Thus aircraft crossing the International Date Line while flying eastbound over
the Pacific Ocean could reach their destination on the day before their departure:
For example Fiji Airways flight FJ853 during December, departs NAN at
13:40/Friday. It arrives in Honolulu at 23:00/Thursday. The distance between the
two points is 5,090 kilometers. The elapsed travel time (including a technical stop
enroute) is 8 hours 20 minutes.

40/44
 Conversely, FJ821, during December departs HNL at 01:50/Sunday and
arrives in NAN at 07:35/Monday. The flying time is 6 hours and 45 minutes
however since the International Date Line was crossed heading westbound, the
flight is arriving at the destination on the next day.
Trans-Pacific flights leaving Japan or New Zealand in the evening arrive on the
West Coast of the United States on the afternoon of the same day:
For example, flight Japan Airlines JL 062 leaving on May 21 has an effective
flying time of 10 hours 35 minutes, with a departure from Tokyo (NRT), Japan on
Thursday at 17:25 hours. This produces an arrival in Los Angeles (LAX), USA on
Thursday at 11:00 hours.
Example 2
Although Papeete (PPT), Tahiti is not very far from Auckland (AKL), New
Zealand, there is a time difference of 22 hours, in July for example:
PPT GMT–10
AKL GMT + 12 (Standard Time)
As the local time is ahead of the GMT (GMT +) at one point and behind GMT
(GMT -) at the other, we add both figures together.
PPT GMT–10
AKL GMT + 12
Sum: 22 hours
When the local time in Papeete is 10:00 hours on Monday, the local time in
Aukland is 08:00 hours on Tuesday.

When the International Date Line is crossed westbound, for example from
Papeete to Auckland on Monday, a day is “lost” as the arrival date in New Zealand
will be on Tuesday:

41/44
 The flight Air New Zealand NZ 005 on July 17 (effective flying time 5 hours 45
minutes) departs from Papeete (PPT), Tahiti on Tuesday at 02:30 hours and
arrives at Auckland (AKL), New Zealand on Wednesday at 06:15 hours.
The fact that a flight arrives at its destination on the day before or after is
highlighted in airline timetables by means of a special sign printed next to the time
of arrival at destination.

42/44
4.4 CALCULATION OF TRANSPORTATION TIME
By completing this Unit, you will be able to:
 Calculate cargo transportation times between two city airports.
4.4.1 How Transportation Times are Calculated
Example 1
Flight AF 033 leaves Paris (PAR) at 12:30 on Tuesday, December 12 and
arrives in Montreal (YMQ) at 13:55 on the same day.
What is the total transportation time?
Montreal is situated in the Eastern Time Zone of Canada.
The calculation is made as follows:
First step:
Determine the GMT factor applicable for the departure and arrival cities.
PAR = GMT + 1 (Standard Clock Time)
YMQ = GMT–5 (Standard Clock Time)
Second step:
Convert arrival and departure times to GMT.
To convert departure and arrival times to GMT:
 Deduct the number of hours from the local time when it is ahead of GMT
(+).
 Add the number of hours to the local time when it is behind GMT (-).
In other words, to convert the local time into GMT, reverse the GMT factor
and add or deduct as the case may be to/from the local time.
PAR 12:30 local time Tuesday - 1 = 11:30 GMT Tuesday
YMQ 13:55 local time Tuesday + 5 = 18:55 GMT Tuesday
Third step:
Now that a common denominator has been found, namely GMT, to calculate
the transportation time deduct the departure time in GMT from the arrival time in
GMT.
Calculating the difference:

43/44
  Arrival time 18:55 GMT Tuesday
 Departure time 11:30 GMT Tuesday
 Total transportation time = 7 hours, 25 minutes
Example 2
What is the total transportation time for a journey leaving Lusaka, Zambia
(LUN) at 09:10 on Friday, January 6, and arriving Hong Kong (HKG) on
Saturday, January 7, at 14:50? This trip includes several connections.
The method of calculation used in the first example can also be applied to this
one, as follows:
First step:
Ascertain the GMT factor applicable for the departure and arrival cities.
LUN = GMT + 2 HKG = GMT + 8
Second step:
Convert the departure and arrival times to GMT:
LUN 09:10 local time Friday - 2 = 07:10 GMT Friday
HKG 14:50 local time Saturday - 8 = 06:50 GMT Saturday
Since the flight has left on Friday and arrived on Saturday i.e. the next day, for
the sake of calculations we add 24 hours to the arrival time.
Third step:
Calculating the difference:
 Arrival time (06:50 + 24) 30:50 GMT Friday
 Departure 07:10 GMT Friday
 Total transportation time = 23 hours, 40 minutes
Note: It must be kept in mind while performing the time calculations that the
decimal system of calculation cannot be applied. 1 hour = 60mins (not 100)
There are also a number of websites that can perform this calculation. One
example is found on: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/travel.html
With the IATA FIATA Endorsed Forwarder’s worldwide knowledge of transport
possibilities, import and export regulations and other transport logistics, the
forwarder is often expected to be a total logistics consultant.

44/44