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Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
SUX, FUK, GAY: What Happens When an Airport Code Is Deemed 'Offensive'?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. At first glance, a three-letter airport code might seem like bureaucratic trivia meant mostly for air-traffic control purposes. But when the code is GAY, FUK or SUX, those letters can stir political outcry, cultural backlash or a citywide PR headache. This week, Gaya International Airport in the Indian state of Bihar became the latest flashpoint after BJP Member of Parliament Bhim Singh called the airport's "GAY" designation "socially and culturally offensive." He urged India's civil aviation ministry to request a change from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Indian government demurred, saying such changes are allowed only under "exceptional circumstances" tied to air safety. Gaya Airport-Bodh Gaya Airport is a airport located in the city Gaya in state of Bihar, India. IATA code for this airport is GAY. Gaya Airport-Bodh Gaya Airport is a airport located in the city Gaya in state of Bihar, India. IATA code for this airport is GAY. Rashid Jorvee - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 The dispute reflects the rare instances of airport codes that can cause discomfort — or, more likely, chuckles — because of unintended meanings. While some codes — like SEX or GUN — are explicitly banned by IATA, others such as GAY, FUK (Fukuoka, Japan) and SUX (Sioux City, Iowa) remain in use, often after failed rebranding efforts. "IATA codes can only be changed for safety reasons," the civil aviation ministry said in response to Singh's demand, according to the air travel blog View from the Wing. Yet that's not entirely accurate. Historical precedents show codes have changed before. Baltimore's airport went from BAL to BWI, and New York's Idlewild Airport was renamed JFK. Still, the process is rare and complex. The push to change GAY's code has drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ activists who argue the effort is rooted in homophobia. "The call to change the airport code is a symptom of homophobia," LGBTQ rights groups told View from the Wing. The code GAY was unused before Gaya's airport opened in 2002 and had ironically even been offered to Sioux City (SUX), which declined, reportedly uncomfortable with the acronym. SUX faced its own identity challenge. Sioux City's code was considered embarrassing, and in both 1998 and 2002, city officials tried to have it changed. When those attempts failed, the city embraced the code with tongue-in-cheek marketing campaigns urging travelers to "Fly SUX." 'Fly SUX' merchandise is sold at Souix City Gateway Airport. 'Fly SUX' merchandise is sold at Souix City Gateway Airport. Sioux Gateway Airport Branding Dilemma Requests to change Gaya's airport code have previously been submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India. In 2022, the Parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings recommended changing the code from GAY to YAG, arguing that the existing codename was indecent. Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol noted that Air India had approached the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to request a change, but without success. These cases are part of a long list of unintentionally provocative airport identifiers. FUK remains the official code for Fukuoka Airport in Japan. Dickinson, North Dakota, uses DIK. Other examples include POO (Pocos de Caldas, Brazil), PEE (Perm, Russia), and BUM (Butler Memorial, Missouri). Even codes like CAT, DOG, LOL, and OMG appear on the list of oddities. Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX), also known as Brigadier General Bud Day Field, serves both public and military flights in Woodbury County, Iowa. Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX), also known as Brigadier General Bud Day Field, serves both public and military flights in Woodbury County, Iowa. Sioux Gateway Airport Some codes stem from legacy naming systems, while others simply reflect the first available three-letter combination at the time of the airport's registration. Regardless of their origin, once an IATA code is assigned, changing it is no simple task. IATA's Resolution 763 outlines the process for assigning and changing codes, stating that "only a strong justification, primarily concerning air safety, can be the driver for change." In practice, codes are deeply embedded in airline reservation systems, cargo tracking databases, and baggage-handling operations, making alterations costly and logistically difficult. There have been exceptions. The most recent appears to be in 2019, when Kazakhstan's capital renamed its airport from Tselinograd to Nur-Sultan, and the IATA code changed from TSE to NQZ. Even then, the process took years. In 2022, the city reverted to its previous name—Astana—while keeping the new airport code. For many travelers and aviation enthusiasts, these codes are more curiosity than crisis. "I always wanted to ticket an itinerary from Fresno, California (FAT), to Fukuoka, Japan (FUK)," Gary Leff, an aviation expert and main author of View from the Wing. "Better to just lean into it: Fly SUX."
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP MP wants Gaya airport code changed over ‘cultural concerns'; Centre says IATA won't allow it
NEW DELHI: The airport code, GAY, for Gaya International Airport in Bihar was making the public feel uncomfortable, opined BJP MP Bhim Singh. It offended their social and cultural sensibilities, he felt, while appealing for a change. In an unstarred questionnaire in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the Bihar representative sought to know whether the government planned to change it to a more respectful and culturally appropriate code. He also wanted to know if the government had received any complaints, suggestions or public sentiments in this regard and its response. In a written response, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, said that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has ruled out any change in the three-letter code. 'Air India had earlier approached IATA seeking a change of the existing airport code. However, IATA has conveyed that under the provisions of IATA Resolution 763, assigned three-letter codes are considered permanent and are altered only under exceptional circumstances, usually involving air safety concerns.'
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
MPs demand more trains from Bihar
Patna: Rajya Sabha member Bhim Singh met railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday and demanded direct Gaya-Surat and Gaya-Delhi trains. He also demanded a daily run of the Udhna-Danapur Express. He also demanded a Vande Bharat sleeper train from Gaya to New Delhi. The BJP MP said the railway minister assured him that he would consider his demands sympathetically. JD(U) national executive president and MP Sanjay Kumar Jha also wrote a letter to the minister requesting an increase in the number of special trains to Bihar during the festival season. Singh, in the letter submitted to the minister, stated that more than 5 lakh migrant workers from Bihar live in Surat city of Gujarat. They want to return home on festivals and other occasions. But due to the absence of any direct train from Gaya to Surat, they have to face difficulties. Singh also said Gaya is a major religious place where lakhs of devotees from all over the country reach to perform Pind daan during Pitripaksha. "A large number of devotees also come there from Gujarat. So, a direct train will benefit both the migrants and the devotees," he said. Singh also mentioned that the Udhna-Danapur Express operates only twice a week. He specifically requested that a Vande Bharat sleeper train should also have a stop at Anugrah Narayan Road (Aurangabad) station, so that the officials and employees of NTPC and the railways can also travel conveniently to Delhi.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
GAY isn't the only ‘offensive' airport code. There are many more
On August 5, A BJP MP took exception to the airport code of Gaya International Airport. The code 'GAY' was 'socially and culturally' offensive, according to Bhim Singh who sought that the government change it to a 'more respectful and culturally appropriate' one. While IATA has banned SEX or GUN, airport codes can be funny or offensive depending on how one looks at it. The code for Madrid, the capital of Spain, is MAD.(Unsplash/Representational) The government replied that it received such requests in the past. Air India had even approached trade body IATA for a change, which did not blink, citing Resolution 763 that bars airport code changes unless deemed extremely essential. Truth is GAY is not the only airport code that is not music to some ears. Take the case of COK, the airport code for Kochi International Airport. While IATA has banned SEX or GUN, airport codes can be funny or offensive depending on how one looks at it. The code for Madrid, the capital of Spain, is MAD. What about DIK? That is the code for Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport in the US. What about FUK? No way! There is actually. Fukuoka Airport's IATA identifier turns out to be FUK. There is a BUM and a POO as well. Butler Memorial Airport in the United States is identified as BUM while Brazil's Pocos De Caldas regional airport goes by POO. PEE is assigned to Russia's Perm International Airport while the Sioux Gateway Airport in the US has SUX as its code. Animal lovers will be pleased because Cascais Municipal Aerodrome in Portugal is CAT for short and Dongola Airport in Sudan has been allocated DOG. An airport in Cuba, the Frank Pais Airport's code is HOG. Foodies need not be disappointed because there is plenty here. St. Peter Clearwater airport in Florida has PIE as code while Yuma International (Arizona) Airport's code is YUM. There's also something for fans of texting slangs. The Derby Field Airport at Lovelock in the US uses IATA code LOL, Funafuti International Airport in Tuvalu uses FUN as its three-letter code and Omega airport in Namibia has gone with OMG. A small airport in Mauritania named Letfotar airport has MOM as its IATA code while DAD is for Vietnam's Da Nang Airport's IATA. Safford Arizona is SAD and Finland's capital Helsinki is HEL. The latter one is the butt of jokes, especially on Friday the thirteenth. How are airport codes assigned? The assignment of location-based codes is laid down in Resolution 763 of IATA. The code has to be unique and can be assigned to an airport or an intermodal transportation terminal such as a bus stand or train station. The procedure involves selecting an unassigned code using the first three letters of the location's name. This applied to older airports such as Delhi (DEL) or Mumbai (BOM, after its old name BOMBAY). The second method involves choosing an unassigned combination, preferably starting with the first letter of the location's name (Eg: BLR for Bengaluru and HYD for Hyderabad). Airport codes are not always related to the name of the city. Examples: Canadian airports such as Toronto (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR) and airports in India like Mangalore (IXE) and Aurangabad (IXU). IATA codes are only issued based on a commercial airline's request to IATA and usually the first airline flying to the location requests the code. Airport coding first began in the 1930s and moved to three-letter codes in the 1940s. Is it possible to change an airport code? What about the BJP MP's request to change a code? Assigned three-letter location identifiers are typically considered permanent. They are almost never changed. Only a strong justification, primarily concerning air safety, can be the driver for change. In the case of Bengaluru and Hyderabad, where the older airports shut down for scheduled commercial operations. and the code was placed on the new airports. There have been—rare—instances of change in airport codes. A recent change happened at Kazakhstan's capital Astana. The Nursultan Nazarbayev International airport at Astana, operated with IATA code TSE, which was based on its former name Tselinograd. In 2019, the city's name was changed from Astana to Nur Sultan and a request was made to change the airport code. It was subsequently changed to NQZ. As fate would have it, the city's name reverted to Astana in 2022 while the airport code continues to be NQZ.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
India rejects call to change ‘GAY' airport code after MP deems it ‘culturally offensive'
India 's civil aviation ministry has rejected calls to change the 'GAY' code for Gaya International Airport after a lawmaker deemed it 'offensive', saying such International Air Transport Association (IATA) codes are permanent and can only be altered for aviation safety reasons. The clarification came after Bhim Singh, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, told the Rajya Sabha – the upper house of India's parliament – on Tuesday that the term 'gay' was 'socially and culturally offensive and uncomfortable', especially for a religious destination like Gaya. Gaya, in eastern Bihar, is one of India's oldest and most sacred cities – a major pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Buddhists. Nearby Bodh Gaya, just about 5 km away, is the site where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, and its Mahabodhi Temple was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in June 2002. Singh asked if the government had received complaints about the code and whether it intended to consider a change to a 'more respectful and culturally appropriate' alternative, according to the Hindustan Times. Flowers adorn Gaya's Mahabodhi Temple, in Bihar state. In a written reply, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the code was assigned by the IATA, and that changes were only permitted under limited criteria. 'IATA location codes are considered permanent and are altered only under exceptional circumstances, usually involving air safety concerns,' Mohol told the Rajya Sabha, as quoted by The Hans India.
