Air routes

Classification

Air routes is a hierarchical classification of four levels:

• Level 1 consists of one-digit major country groupings.
• Level 2 consists of one-digit minor country groupings.
• Level 3 consists of three-alpha overseas airport codes.
• Level 4 consists of three-alpha New Zealand airport codes, plus a two-digit numbering system to identify different air routes from the airport of departure to the airport of destination, with/without different stopovers (as listed in the category descriptor). This two-digit numbering system would normally start with '11' as the direct flight between the two countries' airports (if one exists), then would continue with codes '12', '13' etc for air-routes between the same two airports but with stopovers at other airports en route.

For example, the code '82SCLAKL13' (descriptor SCL/LAX/PPT/AKL) is built up from:

You can download the full classification from the 'Available files' section.

Supplementary Codes

The supplementary codes are used to process inadequately described responses in statistical collections. Codes commencing with zero are used to code responses which cannot be allocated an airport of departure.

The full listing of supplementary codes can be found within the full classification, available under the 'Available files' heading.