UA Airline Code, United Airlines
UA is the IATA airline code for United Airlines, based in the United States. Its ICAO code is UAL and its radio callsign is "United".
What airline is UA?
UA is the IATA airline code for United Airlines, based in the United States. Its ICAO code is UAL and its radio callsign is "United".
With 2,180 scheduled routes in the open dataset, it is one of the most connected carriers in the world, ranked number 3 by routes. You will see UA as the two-character prefix on its flight numbers, for example UA123.
| IATA airline code | UA |
|---|---|
| ICAO airline code | UAL |
| Radio callsign | United |
| Country | United States |
| Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Scheduled routes | 2,180 (ranked #3) |
| Most routes at | ORD Chicago |
| Status | Active |
What is the airline code for United Airlines?
The IATA airline code for United Airlines is UA, and its ICAO code is UAL. The two-character IATA code prefixes the carrier's flight numbers, for example UA123.
IATA airline codes are two characters and can reuse letters over time, so a retired airline's code may later be assigned to another carrier. ICAO codes are three letters and are more stable, which is why flight plans use them.
Where the UA code comes from
UA is one of the oldest airline codes in continuous use. It has identified United Air Lines since the 1930s, when the carrier emerged from the Boeing Air Transport group and two-letter codes were first standardised. The ICAO code UAL and the callsign UNITED extend the same identity into flight plans and radio calls.
United operates one of the three largest airline fleets in the world, roughly 950 mainline aircraft as of the mid-2020s, plus a large regional network flown as United Express.
More on how these identifiers work in what an IATA code is and airline callsigns.
What are United Airlines's hub airports?
United Airlines (UA) concentrates its network on ORD (Chicago), DEN (Denver), IAH (Houston), EWR (Newark), SFO (San Francisco), IAD (Dulles), LAX (Los Angeles).
Which airport does United Airlines serve most?
United Airlines (UA) appears on more routes at ORD, Chicago, than at any other airport in the open route dataset.
The airports United Airlines appears at most often in that dataset, most routes first:
Routes flown by United Airlines
The busiest pairs United Airlines (UA) is listed as operating in the open route dataset (codeshare-only listings excluded), with distance and typical flight time:
Route and carrier data comes from the OpenFlights open dataset, regenerated here on . It is a historical snapshot of scheduled connections, not a live schedule, and it includes codeshare listings, so some carriers shown may no longer operate the route or exist. How we build this · Data and sources.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICAO code for United Airlines?
United Airlines uses the ICAO airline code UAL and the radio callsign "United". Flight plans and air traffic control use UAL, while tickets and schedules use UA.
What is the radio callsign for United Airlines?
Air traffic control refers to United Airlines by the radio callsign "United".
What country is United Airlines based in?
United Airlines (UA) is based in the United States.
What is the abbreviation for United Airlines?
The two-character IATA abbreviation for United Airlines is UA, and its three-letter ICAO code is UAL.
How many routes does United Airlines fly?
The open route dataset lists 2,180 route entries for United Airlines, codeshare listings included, which ranks the carrier number 3 by that count. The route table below shows only the pairs United Airlines is listed as operating.
Is United Airlines in an airline alliance?
United Airlines (UA) is a member of Star Alliance, the global airline alliance founded in 1997. Membership means shared lounges, frequent flyer recognition and connecting networks across the member carriers.