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Home  Analysis  IATA vs ICAO - What's the di!eren…

IATA vs ICAO - What's the

difference?
Two major international organizations key
to commercial aviation, each with fairly
distinct roles.
BY CHRIS LOH PUBLISHED FEB 14, 2022

Photo: Getty Images

Both IATA and ICAO have significantly

shaped commercial aviation operations.
While experienced aviation enthusiasts
and travelers may already know how
these two international organizations
di!er, let's take a refreshed look at their
respective roles and how they influence
the way we travel.

How the two organizations are

similar

While the di!erences between the

:
International Air Transport Association
(IATA) and the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) are relatively
straightforward, it's completely
understandable to confuse the two
organizations. Indeed, both IATA and
ICAO...

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Were founded at similar times in

history

Have an international presence

Have stated priorities of safety and

environmental protection

Set international standards

Deal with commercial aviation and

passenger travel

Of course, the standards that are set

and the specific activities they conduct
are quite di!erent.
:
ICAO is a branch of the United Nations and is
headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Photo: Caribb
Caribb via
via
Flickr
Flickr

Founded at similar times

While IATA is technically considered a

non-governmental organization, its key
role is as a trade association to
represent commercial airlines of the
world. On the other side, ICAO acts as
an intergovernmental association-
supporting diplomacy and cooperation
between countries as they relate to air
transport.

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While the Convention on International

Civil Aviation (commonly referred to as
the Chicago Convention) was drafted in
1944, the ICAO was actually founded in
1947, based on the core principles of the
convention. Perhaps inspired by the
Chicago Convention's spirit of
international cooperation, IATA was
founded in 1945, two years before the
ICAO was o"cially established.

IATA, however, had its roots in the

International Air Tra!c Association,
which was founded in the Hague in 1919
- the year of the world's first
international scheduled services.
:
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Core functions

The core function of ICAO is "to maintain

an administrative and expert
bureaucracy supporting diplomatic
interactions, and to research new air
transport policy and standardization
innovations..." The UN agency
emphasizes that its standards should
"never supersede the primacy of national
regulatory requirements" and that local
and national regulations must be
:
adhered to by air operators. Indeed, the
organization makes it very clear that it is
not in itself an international aviation
regulator.

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The International Air Transport

Association (IATA) defines itself as a
trade association for the world's airlines,
representing some 290 airlines around
the world which accounts for 83% of
total air tra"c. The organization notes
that it helps to formulate industry policy
on "critical aviation issues," adding that
:
on "critical aviation issues," adding that
it advocates for the interests of airlines.

IATA challenges "unreasonable rules and

charges" and holds regulators and
governments to account while striving
for "sensible regulation."

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:
ICAO standards have made the management of air tra!c
much easier. Photo: Getty Images

A summary of differences

If we were to keep this article short and

try to summarize the significant
di!erences between the two
organizations, we would highlight the
following aspects:

IATA sets standards for its member

airlines while ICAO sets standards
for member nations

IATA advocates for its airline

industry members, while ICAO
looks to set standards and
procedures for civil aviation
(particularly as it pertains to the
actual process of flight).

Airport codes are one field where the

two organizations overlap (for London
Heathrow, IATA's code is LHR while the
ICAO equivalent is EGLL). The variance in
these codes highlights the di!erences
between the two organizations: IATA's
airport codes have been developed for
use by airlines as they relate to
passengers and customers- think
boarding passes and flight reservations.
:
boarding passes and flight reservations.
For ICAO, its respective list of airport
codes is used by pilots and air tra"c
controllers (or air navigation service
providers).

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While both organizations may have their

own respective safety initiatives, IATA
has a strong focus on the commercial
health of its member airlines. While the
ICAO, may examine economic
development through air transportation,
it is much more focused on aviation
safety for its member nations.
:
safety for its member nations.

Did you
Link know
copied the di!erence between
to clipboard
IATA and ICAO? Let us know by leaving a
comment.

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ICAO IATA WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

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Deputy Editor - An experienced

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Home  Airports  The Ins And Outs Of London Heath…

The Ins And Outs Of

:
The Ins And Outs Of
London Heathrow Airport's
Curfews
Heathrow limits what can be flown during
the nighttime hours, but there are still
flights... Let's see what's allowed and
what's not.
BY LUKE PETERS PUBLISHED OCT 02, 2022

Photo: Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow Airport

IATA/ICAO Code: LHR-EGLL
Country: United Kingdom
CEO: John Holland-Kaye
Passenger Count : 19,392,178 (2021)
Runways 09L/27R - 3,902m (12,802ft)
: |09R/27L - 3,660m (12,008ft)
Terminals: Terminal 2 |Terminal 3
|Terminal 4 |Terminal 5

Located in a heavily urbanized area west

of London, Heathrow Airport restricts
the number of movements permitted to
operate from the airport at night. Noise
remains a highly contentious subject,
particularly for those who live in
proximity to the airport, and so
:
Heathrow's owners take proportionate
measures to reduce noise disturbance
by imposing a night curfew. Let's take a
look at what airlines can and cannot get
away with in the hours of darkness at
the UK's busiest international airport.

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A tricky coexistence

Airports and those who live close by

have always endured complicated
relationships. While major airports such
as Heathrow provide thousands of job
opportunities for the local community
:
and easy access for those who live
nearby to flights serving far-flung
destinations around the world, the
impacts of constant noise disturbance
on one's general mental and physical
health should never be underestimated.

Additionally, the consequences of

regular sleep deprivation on the human
body are well researched and
understood. These pinch points provide
the battleground for those who oppose
airport expansion and night operations
in particular.

With the dichotomy of balancing running

the airport as a profitable business
while simultaneously not angering their
neighbors, airport authorities have to
find a way to appease all stakeholders,
whether they be shareholders, the
airlines, or the communities that live
near the airport itself.
:
 Ad

One way of doing this is by imposing and

enforcing night curfews, restricting the
number of movements (take-o!s and
landings) when people who live in areas
a!ected by the airport are trying to
sleep.

A view of Lima Airport's new runway in the night.

As an airport, night-time operations can be troublesome

for your neighbors. Photo: Lima Airport Partners

What is a night curfew?

Airport curfews, or night flying

restrictions, are rulings that prevent
:
restrictions, are rulings that prevent
aircraft from operating at certain times
of the night. That means that airlines are
not allowed to take o!, taxi, or land
between mandated hours. The reason
for such restrictions is simple.

As urban areas creep closer and closer

to airports in the demand for space, it's
becoming increasingly crucial for all
sides to co-exist with each other.
Imposing curfews are a method of
appeasing those who live close to
airports by allowing them a few hours of
noise-free undisturbed sleep every
night.

Night curfews are not a new

phenomenon. Certain airports have
imposed such bans on airfield
operations overnight for many years,
primarily in response to increasingly
vociferous calls by local residents to
reduce the overall noise that airports
produce at night.
:
 Ad

The environment is generally quieter at

night when the majority of people are
trying to sleep, which amplifies the
impact of aircraft noise. Also, night noise
may seem worse in the summer when
people are more likely to sleep with
windows open.

As one of the world's busiest

international airports, Heathrow, with
multiple urban residential areas
surrounding the airport and with
departure and arrival flight paths
crisscrossing the skies over London,
some degree of noise disturbance is
inevitable.

But the airport has strict rules in place

governing night operations so that local
residents get at least some respite from
:
residents get at least some respite from
aircraft noise at night so that the

delicate balance of the relationship can

be maintained.

Aircraft lining up in the sky to land at London Heathrow Airport

Night movements at Heathrow are constrained by a

curfew. Photo: Getty Images

What are the rules surrounding

night flights at Heathrow?

There is no formal ban on night flights at

Heathrow Airport. However, since 1962,
the UK Government has placed
restrictions on such operations. To this
end, the Government heavily restricts
night-time operations at Heathrow
(o"cial 'night-time' being defined as the
hours between 23:30 and 06:00).
:
 Ad

A limit of 5,800 night-time take-o!s and

landings a year are permitted outside
these hours. A night quota system is
also in place, which caps the amount of
noise the airport can make at night. We
will take a closer look at this later.

The current structure of the night flying

restrictions at Heathrow has been in
place since October 2017. The night
flight restrictions are part of the UK
Government's defined noise measures
under a piece of legislation known as
the Civil Aviation Act 1982.

In terms of the details of the

restrictions, the following rules are in
place at Heathrow -
:
 There are two time periods: 23:00
to 07:00 and 23:30 to 06:00, both
with restrictions on certain types
of aircraft;

The more restrictive period (23:30

to 06:00) is known as the Night
Quota Period (NQP). It has limits
on the number of movements that
are set by the UK Department for
Transport (a UK central
Governmental department). The
limits are set on a seasonal basis:
summer and winter;

Heathrow is currently limited to

5,800 night flights a year: 3,250 in
the summer season and 2,550 in
the winter season;

Heathrow is also permitted to roll

over up to 10% of the 'left over'
movements from summer to
winter, which means the winter
season limits vary more than the
summer limits. The summer
season is defined using British
Summer Time (GMT +1), generally
from the end of March until the
end of October.

The airport is not permitted to

accumulate the carry-over from
one year to the next.
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 Ad

Additionally, so that operations can

coincide with the restrictions, Heathrow
does not have any scheduled departures
between 22:50 and 06:00 or any
scheduled arrivals between 22:55 and
04:40. This e!ectively means that there
are no scheduled flights after 22:55 and
before 04:40 coming into or leaving the
airport.

Heathrow also has a voluntary ban that

prevents flights scheduled between
04:30 and 06:00 from landing before
04:30. Airlines such as British Airways,
:
04:30. Airlines such as British Airways,
which has its home base located at the

airport, often schedule flights so that

they arrive just after the night curfew
ends.

Around 80% of the night flights at

Heathrow are between 04:30 to 06:00,
with an average of 16 aircraft arriving
each day between these hours.
Heathrow has a voluntary ban that
prevents flights scheduled between
04:30 and 06:00 from landing before
04:30.

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:
Generally, British Airways flights from
Hong Kong and Johannesburg are often
the first to land at the start of the
morning rush. That said, with a keen
tailwind enroute, these two flights in
particular often have to enter a holding
pattern to the north and south of
London, respectively until the airport
o"cially 'opens' to receive them at
04:30.

London Heathrow Airport, British Airways A380 Take Off

The British Airways flights from Hong Kong and

Johannesburg are usually the first to land in the morning
at Heathrow. Photo: Heathrow Airport

The 'Night Quota Period'

The quota count system (known as the

Night Quota Period, or NQP) has been in
place at Heathrow since 1993. The rules
imposed by the NQP apply to all major
London airports (Luton, Stansted,
Gatwick, and Heathrow).

The system works by assigning points to

:
how noisy each type of aircraft is. The
louder the plane, the higher the number

of points. If an aircraft lands or takes o!

during the NQP of 23:30 to 06:00, its
points count towards a limit (based on
whether it operates during the summer
or winter). There is also a movement
limit that restricts the total number of
flights that can take place in the NQP
over each summer and winter period.

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The NQP system is designed to

discourage airlines from using noisier
:
discourage airlines from using noisier
older planes and instead encourage the
use of quieter newer planes. No aircraft
with a very high score (the oldest and

loudest) is allowed to take o! or land

during the night quota period. This
includes such types as the Boeing 737-
200, Douglas DC-9, and others.

Over 90% of all the scheduled

movements that operate during the NQP
are early morning arrivals. Most of these
are scheduled to arrive after 05:00. In
addition, Heathrow does not have any
freight flights in the NQP from 23:30 to
06:00 - unusual for a major airport
where night freight operations can
provide lucrative additional revenue.

London Heathrow Airport from above

Night time movements are heavily restricted at the airport.

Photo: Heathrow Airport

How do the NQP and movement

limit work together?

At Heathrow, the movement limit and

:
At Heathrow, the movement limit and
quota count restrictions work together
to ensure that the overall number of

night flights is limited and that the

quietest planes are used by airlines
operating at the airport. :

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For example, if newer, quieter planes are

used, their night quota scores will be
low, although the movement limit will
restrict the total number. Conversely, if
noisier aircraft are used, their night
quota scores will be high, and their
:
quota scores will be high, and their
number will be restricted by the quota
count limit.

The quota count combined with the

movement limit ensures the total

number of night flights is restricted at
Heathrow, and the use of the quietest
planes by the airport's airline customers
is encouraged.

Plane landing at Heathrow

The system in place at Heathrow tries to keep everyone

happy. Photo: Heathrow Airport

Are there any exceptions to

these guidelines?

Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) is

compelled to impose and enforce the
restrictive measures above. Additionally,
it must regularly report to the UK
Government and the Heathrow
Community Engagement Board (HCEB)
on its performance regarding night
flights.
:
However, there are occasions when a
scheduled departure is unavoidably
delayed because of operational or
technical problems. If a flight needs to

leave after 23:30 for such reasons, the

airline involved can request permission
by explaining the reason for the delay.

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Similarly, if delaying the flight overnight

will result in severe commercial
consequences for the airline involved,
permission to breach the NQP can be
sought again.
:
sought again.

For example, if an airline has an aircraft

with a technical issue that only gets
resolved at 22:30 might apply for a late

departure slot if failing to get the flight

away could result in potentially
hundreds of passengers sleeping on the
floor of the terminal due to a lack of
suitable local hotel accommodation.

Similarly, adverse weather conditions,

such as heavy snowfall, can cause
widespread disruption. In this case, the
Government can give dispensation for
additional night flights. These are in
exceptional circumstances only, where
delays are likely to lead to severe
congestion at the airport or serious
hardship or su!ering to passengers,
which result in prolonged disruption of
air tra"c.

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:
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There is always a delicate balance to be

struck as to whether a flight should be
allowed at night, considering the e!ects
on local communities, passengers, and
the airline network.

Aircraft approaching Heathrow runway

Operational requirements are taken into account if the

curfew is to be broken. Photo: Heathrow Airport

Emergencies always have

dispensation

Sometimes aircraft will need to operate

during the night when they have not
been scheduled. This could be for
several reasons, such as delays that
:
several reasons, such as delays that
have built up during the day or for a
technical fault with an aircraft that
needs to be repaired.

However, an exception to all the rules

applies to aircraft in distress. Heathrow

provides round-the-clock availability for
any aircraft that requires making an
emergency landing. This can be a flight
that departs the airport at 23:25 and is
30 minutes into its flight when it needs
to return due to an unforeseen technical
issue or a medical emergency onboard.

Similarly, the UK lies directly underneath

many east-west overnight air routes
between continental Europe and North
America. Heathrow o!ers a safe landing
facility should any overflying aircraft on
any of these routes require an
emergency landing.

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:
London Heathrow Airport

Air tra!c controllers are always on hand if an emergency

situation. arises. Photo: Heathrow Airport

Balancing act

Airports are extremely expensive to run.

Indeed, just this week, has seen the
announcement that another UK airport,
Doncaster She"eld Airport (DSA), will
be closing its doors and will cease
trading at the end of October 2022 due
to unsustainable financial losses.

Airport authorities and owners such as

:
Airport authorities and owners such as
HAL, therefore, need to balance the
needs of customers (both airlines and
passengers) against the wishes of those
who live nearby to be able to live with
minimal noise disruption.

However, having a considerable asset,

such as an airport, sitting e!ectively idle
for several hours each day is costly. It is,
therefore, imperative for the airport to
capitalize on revenue-earning
opportunities in the hours that it is in
operation.

heathrow_17581501890328
Photo: Heathrow Airport

Ultimately, Heathrow operates as a business to make

money. Photo: Heathrow Airport

Ever conscious of the impact that its

operations have on its neighbors,
Heathrow has for many years operated a
runway rotational system. With north
(09L / 27R) and south (09R / 27L)
runways available, the airport switches
:
runways available, the airport switches
the mode of each runway at 1500 each
day to give local residents a break from
aircraft noise.

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Under this scheme, those that live under

the flight path of landing aircraft in the
morning are relieved of this disturbance
in the afternoon and evening.

It should also be remarked that noise

footprints from modern aircraft are just
a fraction of where they were back in
previous decades. With the development
:
of increasingly quieter and more
e"cient aircraft and engines, while
aircraft noise may never be entirely
eradicated, airports, in general, are
much quieter places nowadays than they
once were.

Sources: London Heathrow Airport, OAG

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Related Topics

GUIDES AIRPORTS EDITOR'S PICKS CURFEW

CURFEWS BAN AIRPORT NOISE

NOISE ABATEMENT HEATHROW

About The Author

Luke Peters
(96 Articles Published)

Journalist - Working for several

airlines & Airbus, Luke gained a…
comprehensive knowledge of the
More From Luke
commercial Peters
aviation  before
industry,
retraining as a lawyer specializing in
aviation. A qualified private pilot, Luke
:
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