Aircraft Callsigns
Group Form
When using flight number callsigns in Australia, controllers and pilots generally use 'group form'. Group Form is a way of reading out numbers that keeps transmissions clear, efficient, and easy to understand—especially in busy airspace.
Group form means pronouncing the digits in pairs (or "groups") instead of saying each digit separately. This method is used with airline callsigns, military aircraft, and other identifiers that include a rootword followed by numbers.
Phraseology
QLK1148 "QLink Eleven Forty Eight"
VOZ023 - Velocity Zero Twenty Three
ASY701 - Aussie Seven Zero One
JST900 - Jetstar Nine Hundred
Airlines
Unlike in the real world — where only a select number of airlines operate services to Australia — controllers may encounter almost any airline or callsign, including long-defunct or fictional airlines.
Many pilots flying obscure callsigns will notate their callsign in their flight plan remarks (for example, "RTF/CALLSIGN (callsign)" ). For any callsign that immediately obvious, controllers should check the remarks for guidance and, if neccessary, put the callsign in the remarks to assist future controllers.
Common Callsigns in Australia
Some of the most common callsigns used in Australia are listed below. For common callsigns used in Pacific areas, refer to the specific countries' local instructions.
Domestic Airlines
| ICAO | Callsign |
|---|---|
| AAA | ANSETT |
| ANO | TOPEND |
| AWK | AIRWORK |
| BNZ | BONZA |
| CFH | CAREFLIGHT |
| HND | HINTERLAND |
| JTE | JETEX |
| JST | JETSTAR |
| NWK | NETLINK |
| PFY | PELFLIGHT |
| QFA | QANTAS |
| QJE | Q JET |
| QLK | Q LINK |
| RXA | REX |
| SFZ | SKYFORCE |
| SKP | SKYTRANS |
| SND | SNOWBIRD |
| TGG | TIGGOZ |
| TFR | TOLL FREIGHT |
| TFX | TEAM AIR |
| UTY | UNITY |
| VOZ | VELOCITY |
Non ICAO callsigns
Some domestic air operators have been given special approval to use a two letter callsign designator when flying in Australian airspace.
| Designator | Callsign |
|---|---|
| AE | AIRMED |
| AL | AEROLINK |
| CT | CONNECT |
| FD | FLYDOC |
| GX | GOLDFIELDS |
| HM | HEMS |
| LR | LINKAIR |
| MB | MAROOMBA |
| MC | MACK FLIGHT |
| NV | NAVAIR |
| PE | PELICAN |
| PJ | PENJET |
| PP | PEARLING |
| PY | SKIPPY |
| SH | SHARP |
| WP | WESTPAC |
Special Task Operations
Aircraft performing special task operations may use a special callsign and designator.
| Designator | Callsign | Operation |
|---|---|---|
| AM | AMBULANCE | Ambulance |
| BDOG | BIRDOG | Coordination of Firebombing Aircraft |
| BMBR | BOMBER | Fire Bombing |
| ENRG | ENERGY | Powerline and pipeline survey and construction |
| FBIR | FIREBIRD | General Fire Support Tasks (light rotary) |
| FPL | FEDPOL | Federal Police |
| FPLR | FEDPOL RED | Federal Police (Priority) |
| FSCN | FIRESCAN | Remote Sensing Fire Operations |
| FYRA | FIREAIR | Night-time NVIS firefighting operations |
| HLTK | HELITAK | General Fire Support Tasks (medium rotary) |
| GLDR | GLIDER | Gliding operations |
| LIFE | LIFESAVER | Lifesaver Operations |
| MDIA | MEDIA | Media Operations |
| NVCK | NAVCHECK | Validation of instrument procedures |
| PKAR | PARKAIR | Parks and Wildlife Service |
| POL | POLAIR | Police |
| POLR | POLAIR RED | Police (Priority) |
| RSCU | RESCUE | Rescue Mission |
| SPTR | FIRESPOTTER | Fire Intelligence Gathering |
| SVY | SURVEY | Aerial Survey (mapping, geographical, etc.) |
Military
Aircraft performing simulating military operations may use a military designator listed below.
Some of the more common callsigns are listed below; a complete list is available in MATS Chapter 6.2.
| Designator | Callsign |
|---|---|
| AJAX | AJAX |
| ALDN | ALADDIN |
| ASY | AUSSIE |
| ASTR | ASTRA |
| BARN | BARON |
| BDF | BORDER FORCE |
| BLKT | BLACKCAT |
| BFRT | BEAUFORT |
| BRCT | BEARCAT |
| BUCK | BUCKSHOT |
| CBRA | COBRA |
| CHET | CHEETAH |
| CLAS | CLASSIC |
| DPOT | DESPOT |
| DNGO | DINGO |
| DRGN | DRAGON |
| EVY | ENVOY |
| FALC | FALCON |
| HDDO | HOODOO |
| HDSN | HUDSON |
| HPST | HIPSHOT |
| KIW | KIWI |
| LYNX | LYNX |
| MAPL | MAPLE |
| MDNT | MIDNIGHT |
| NPTN | NEPTUNE |
| OBAK | OUTBAK |
| ORCA | ORCA |
| OTLW | OUTLAW |
| PACR | PACER |
| PHNX | PHOENIX |
| PHTM | PHANTOM |
| PSDN | POSEIDON |
| PTHR | PANTHER |
| PUMA | PUMA |
| RAVN | RAVEN |
| RCH | REACH |
| RLTS | ROULETTES |
| RNGD | RENEGADE |
| ROLR | ROLLER |
| SABR | SABRE |
| SELN | SEA LION |
| SPTN | SPARTAN |
| STAL | STALLION |
| TAIP | TAIPAN |
| TROJ | TROJAN |
| VIPR | VIPER |
| WGTL | WEDGETAIL |
| WLBY | WALLABY |
International
Aircraft which have regularly scheduled flights to Australia are listed below.
| ICAO | Callsign | Airline | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAR | ASIANA | Asiana Airlines | South Korea |
| AAL | AMERICAN | American Airlines | United States |
| ACA | AIR CANADA | Air Canada | Canada |
| ACI | AIRCALIN | Aircalin | New Caledonia |
| AIC | AIR INDIA | Air India | India |
| ALK | SRI LANKAN | SriLankan Airlines | Sri Lanka |
| ANA | ALL NIPPON | All Nippon Airways | Japan |
| ANG | NIUGINI | Air Niugini | Papua New Guinea |
| ANZ | NEW ZEALAND | Air New Zealand | New Zealand |
| AVN | AIR VAN | Air Vanuatu | Vanuatu |
| AWQ | WAGON AIR | Indonesia Air Asia | Indonesia |
| AXM | RED CAP | AirAsia | Malaysia |
| BAW | SPEEDBIRD | British Airways | United Kingdom |
| BTK | BATIK | Batik Air | Indonesia |
| CAL | DYNASTY | China Airlines | Taiwan |
| CBJ | CAPITAL JET | Beijing Capital Airlines | China |
| CCA | AIR CHINA | Air China | China |
| CEB | CEBU | Cebu Pacific | Philippines |
| CES | CHINA EASTERN | China Eastern Airlines | China |
| CHH | HAINAN | Hainan Airlines | China |
| CPA | CATHAY | Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong |
| CRK | BAUHINIA | Hong Kong Airlines | Hong Kong |
| CSC | SICHUAN | Sichuan Airlines | China |
| CSG | SOUTHERN CARGO | China Southern Airlines | China |
| CSN | CHINA SOUTHERN | China Southern Airlines | China |
| CSZ | SHENZHEN AIR | Shenzhen Airlines | China |
| CXA | XIAMEN AIR | XiamenAir | China |
| DAL | DELTA | Delta Air Lines | United States |
| DKH | AIR JUNEYAO | Juneyao Air | China |
| ETD | ETIHAD | Etihad Airways | UAE |
| EVA | E V A | EVA Air | Taiwan |
| FDX | FEDEX | FedEx Express | United States |
| FJI | FIJI | Fiji Airways | Fiji |
| GCR | BOHAI | Tianjin Airlines | China |
| GIA | INDONESIA | Garuda Indonesia | Indonesia |
| GTI | GIANT | Atlas Air | United States |
| HAL | HAWAIIAN | Hawaiian Airlines | United States |
| HVN | VIETNAM | Vietnam Airlines | Vietnam |
| JAL | JAPAN AIR | Japan Airlines | Japan |
| KAL | KOREAN AIR | Korean Air | South Korea |
| LAN | LAN CHILE | LATAM Airlines Chile | Chile |
| MAS | MALAYSIAN | Malaysia Airlines | Malaysia |
| MAU | MAURITIUS | Air Mauritius | Mauritius |
| MXD | MALINDO | Batik Air Malaysia | Malaysia |
| PAL | PHILIPPINE | Philippine Airlines | Philippines |
| QTR | QATARI | Qatar Airlines | Qatar |
| RBA | BRUNEI | Royal Brunei Airlines | Brunei |
| RON | AIR NAURU | Nauru Airlines | Nauru |
| SAA | SPRINGBOK | South African Airways | South Africa |
| SIA | SINGAPORE | Singapore Airlines | Singapore |
| SOL | SOLOMON | Solomon Airlines | Solomon Islands |
| TGW | SCOOTER | Scoot | Singapore |
| THA | THAI | Thai Airways | Thailand |
| THY | TURKISH | Turkish Airlines | Turkey |
| TNU | TRANSNUSA | TransNusa | Indonesia |
| TOK | BALUS | PNG Air | Papua New Guinea |
| TWB | TEEWAY | T'way Air | South Korea |
| UAE | EMIRATES | Emiratres | UAE |
| UAL | UNITED | United Airlines | United States |
| UPS | U P S | UPS Airlines | United States |
| VJC | VIETJET | VietJet Air | Vietnam |
| XAX | XANADU | AirAsia X | Malaysia |
Virtual Airlines
There are thousands of virtual airlines active on VATSIM. Some online coverage maps, such as VATSIM RADAR, display virtual airlines' callsigns.
A list of VATSIM Partner airlines based in Asia Pacific is available on the VATSIM website.