Which callsign do commercial aircraft use?

Real World Aviation
1

I’m wondering if commercial airlines use the airline callsign like AAL324 or do they use a callsign like N45AF?

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2

They use the Airline callsign in most cases.
Although I’ve seen Horizon Air flights using their registration during commercial operations.

By the way it would be “AAL324” (American 3-2-4) since callsigns are displayed in ICAO designation.

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3

Ok so most commercial airlines will just use there airline callsign.

4

This is the aircraft registration and the call sign will be somethings else for example British airways A380 had the reg GXLEA and its callsigns is speed bird…

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5

Ohh that’s there registration never knew what that was on the side of an aircraft.

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6

Yep the callsign is just what ATC use to contact the plane

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Every airline has a unique callsign… Usually you can find that on Wikipedia… So let’s say I search for Singapore Airlines (Singapore Airlines - Wikipedia), you’ll see a table with IATA, ICAO and CALLSIGN… That’s where you find it. As for callsigns that are actually the tail number of the aircraft, it’s usually for general aviation. N123IF for the U.S., G-ONER for the U.K. and 9V-SYF for Singapore for example

It’s a basic thing, once you understand it, you’ll realize how easy it is…

9

In France, if it’s not too busy, you may not say the whole call sign but just the first letter and the two last ones.

For example:
F-WJRB would be ‘F-RB’.
F-QAQB would be ‘F-QB’…

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10

That’s the Reg numbers, which The GA aircraft use as their call signs, but a commercial aircraft would use their call sign, ie " AIR FRANCE 236" or if British Airways " SPEEDBIRD 236 " etc

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11

Not always, for example a Transavia flight that landed at LFPO today had the following callsign ‘TVF21LJ’ although the ATC only said ‘TLJ’ (TVF being the designator).

12

That’s weird… Is it a norm there?

13

Sounds odd…did they say TLJ or "Transasia Lima Juliet '?

Always an exception to the rule I guess!

14

I know that this is kind of off topic, but what does ICAO stand for/mean?

15

Tango Lima Juliett, in France it’s a standard phraseology when not busy.

16

International Civil Aviation Organization

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17

Yea, same for Sweden.

Though for GA this rule always applies here unless it’s for the “inbound” or first communication where they use their whole callsigns.

18

It’s all commercial callsigns, even on delivery flights. Saying “Cactus 15” is a lot better than “November six seven three alpha yankee”.

19

The initial call must include the full callsign/ registration everywhere in Europe. 😊

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20

So it’s a requirement by Eurocontrol?