Some Aviation Industry Acronyms

A4A
Airlines for America
AACO
Arab Air Carriers Organisation
AAPA
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines
AASA
Airline Association of Southern Africa
ABTA
Association of British Travel Agents
ACAC
Arab Civil Aviation Commission
ACAS
Airborne Collision-Avoidance System (ICAO)
ACC
Airport Consultative Committee (IATA)
ACI
Airports Council International
AEA
Association of European Airlines
AECMA
European Association of Aerospace Industries
AFCAC
African Civil Aviation Commission
AFRAA
African Airlines Association
AFTN
Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network
AGM
Annual General Meeting (IATA)
ALPA
Air Line Pilots Association
ALTA
Asociacin Latinoamericana del Transporte Areo
ANS
Air Navigation Services
AOC
Air Operator's Certificate
API
Advance Passenger Information
APIS
Advance Passenger Information Systems

APU
Auxiliary Power Unit
ARINC
Aeronautical Radio Inc (US)
ASA
Air Services Agreement
ASEAN
Association of South East Asian Nations
ASECNA
Agence pour la Scurit de la Navigation Arienne en Afrique et Madagascar
ASO
Agency Services Office
ASPA
Association of South Pacific Airlines
ASTA
American Society of Travel Agents
ATAC
Air Transport Association of Canada
ATAG
Air Transport Action Group
ATB
Air Transport Association of America
ATC
Air Traffic Control
ATK
Available Tonne Kilometre
ATM
Air Traffic Management
ATN
Aeronautical Telecommunication Network
ATNS
Air Traffic and Navigation Services
ATS
Air Traffic Services
ATS/DS
Air Traffic Services Direct Speech
ATSP
Air Traffic Service Providers
AUC
Air Transport Users Council
AWB
Air Waybill
BAR
Board of Airline Representatives

BCBP
Bar Coded Boarding Passes
BG
Board of Governors (IATA)
BITA
Bilateral Interline Traffic Agreement
C of A
Certificate of Airworthiness C of R
Certificate of Registration
C/I
Counterindemnity Agreement (BSP)
CAA
Civil Aviation Authority
CAAC
Civil Aviation Administration of China
CAConf
Cargo Conference
CANSO
Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation
CAPPS II
Computer Assisted Passenger Pre- screening System
Cargo-IMP
Cargo Interchange Message Procedures
CASE
Computer Aided Software Engineering
CAT
Clear Air Turbulence
CAT 1,2,3
Categories defined by ICAO for bad weather landings
CATB
Cargo Agency Training Board
CBP
Customs and Border Protection
CBPP
Cargo Business Processes Panel
CBT
Computer Based Training
CDA
Continuous Descent Approach
CFIT
Controlled Flight Into Terrain
CFMU
Central Flow Management Unit
CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CNSC
Cargo Network Services Corporation (wholly owned subsidiary of IATA)
CNS
Communications
CRS
Computer Reservations System
CUSS
Common Use Self-Service
CUTE
Common User Terminal Equipment
CVR
Cockpit Voice Recorder
DFDR
Digital Flight Data Recorder
DGCA
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (various countries)
DGR
Dangerous Goods Regulations
DOT
US Department of Transportation (also refers to Dept of Transport in many
countries)
EAG
European Action Group
EASO
European Aviation Suppliers Organisation
EATCHIP
European ATC Harmonisation and Integration Programme
EBAA
European Business Aviation Association
ECAC
European Civil Aviation Conference
ECTAA
Group of National Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations within the EU
EDI
Electronic Data Interchange
ERA
European Regions Airlines Association
ET
Electronic Ticketing
ETS
Emissions Trading Scheme
EU
European Union

EUROCONTROL
European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
FAL
Facilitation
FDA
Flight Data Analysis
FDR
Flight Data Recorder
FIATA
International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association
FIR
Flight Information Region
FMS
Flight Management System
FOQA
Flight Operations Quality Assurance
FUAAV
Fedration Universelle des Associations d'Agences de Voyages
GASAG
Global Aviation Security Action Group
GATS
General Agreement on Trade in Services (under WTO)
GDS
Global Distribution System
GNSS
Global Navigation Satellite Systems
GPS
Global Positioning System (US)
GPWS
Ground Proximity Warning System
GSA
General Sales Agent
GSP
Ground Service Provider
GTAA
Greater Toronto Airport Authority
HF
High Frequency
IACA
International Air Carrier Association
IAPA
International Airline Passengers Association

IATA
International Air Transport Association
IATAN
International Airlines Travel Agent Network (wholly owned subsidiary of IATA)
IATF
International Airline Training Fund
ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organisation
ICCS
IATA Currency Clearance Service
ICH
IATA Clearing House
IFALPA
International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations
IFATCA
International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations
IFSP
In-flight security personnel
ILS
Instrument Landing System
IOSA
IATA Operational Safety Audit
ISO
International Standards Organisation
ITF
International Transport Workers Federation
ITU
International Telecommunication Union
JAA
Joint Aviation Authorities (European)
JAG
Japan Action Group
JAR
Joint Aviation Requirements
LACAC
Latin American Civil Aviation Commission
MANPADS
Man Portable Air Defense Systems
MITA
Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreements
MLS
Microwave Landing System
MOT
Ministry of Transport (various countries)

MOU
Memorandum of Understanding
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PAAST
Pan-American Aviation Safety Team
PAConf
Passenger Agency Conference
PATA
Pacific Asia Travel Association
PNR
Passenger Name Record
PRM
Persons with Reduced Mobility
RFID
Radio Frequency Identification
RNAV
Area Navigation
RNP
Required Navigation Performance
RPK
Revenue Passenger Kilometers
RSVM
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
RTKM
Revenue Tonne Kilometre
SATCOM
Satellite Communications System
SMS
Safety Management Systems
SeMS
Security Management Systems
SES
Single European Sky
StB
Simplifying the Business
SITA
Socit Internationale de Tlcommunications Aronautiques
SPT
Simplifying Passenger Travel
SST
Super Sonic Transport
STEADES
Safety Trend Evaluation, Analysis & Data Exchange System

STB
Simplifying the Business
TCAA
Transatlantic Common Aviation Area
TCAS
Traffic Collision Avoidance System (US-FAA)
TSA
Transportation Security Administration
TWIC
Transport Worker ID Card
TWOV
Transit Without Visa
UATP
Universal Air Travel Plan
UFTAA
Universal Federation of Travel Agents' Associations
VAT
Value-added Tax
VHF
Very High Frequency
VSAT
Vectoral Satellite
WHO
World Health Organisation
WTO
World Tourism Organisation
WTO-OMC
World Trade Organisation (formerly GATT)
WTTC
World Travel and Tourism Council