What Are Aviation Call Signs?

Have you ever wondered how pilots communicate in the vast expanse of the sky? How exactly do they know when the air traffic controller is speaking to them, and not to other aircraft around them? The answer lies in a system of unique identifiers known as callsigns. These are verbal fingerprints of aircraft, allowing them to stand out in the crowded airspace. In this article, we delve into the intriguing world of aviation callsigns, explore their importance and meaning, and uncover some of the most unique examples.

The meaning and significance of callsigns

Callsigns are more than just names; they are the keys to efficient and accurate communication between aircraft and Air Traffic Control (ATC). While private aircraft typically just use their registration number (for example, 9V-ABC, pronounced as "Niner Victor Alpha Bravo Charlie) for identification, commercial airlines have their distinctive callsigns. Each commercial airline adopts its own unique company prefix, followed by the flight number as a suffix. For example, a Singapore Airlines flight SQ123 would identify itself as "Singapore 123" when communicating with the ATC and vice versa. Some airlines however, have chosen to adopt various unique callsigns.

Here are some interesting callsigns used by airlines which fly from/to Changi Airport.

1. British Airways (Speedbird)

Britain’s national carrier, British Airways, was formed after a merger between the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA). Speedbird was the callsign of choice by BOAC back then, which made sense as BOAC’s emblem was a stylised seagull known as - you guessed it - Speedbird. British Airways has since chosen to retain this unique callsign as a homage to its predecessor.

British Airways currently flies direct to London and Sydney from Singapore.

2. Cambodia Airways (Giant Ibis)

Speaking of birds, Cambodia Airways is another airline which has a callsign associated with a bird. And not just any bird - the Giant Ibis (also known locally as “Tror Yorng”) is in fact the national bird of Cambodia. With its impressive size and majestic presence, it is easy to see how this is a befitting callsign for a company in the business of flight.

Though Cambodia Airways is a lesser-known airline in Singapore, its direct flights to Phnom Penh and Sanya are a convenient gateway to this majestic Southeast Asian nation.

3. AirAsia (Red Cap)

AirAsia’s callsign takes on its brand colour red, first and foremost. Founded by entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, the prolific CEO has always been the face of AirAsia since its inception, and is almost never seen without his signature red cap. It is hence not surprising that AirAsia has chosen its callsign to take after its CEO’s most beloved fashion accessory. As to which came first, that is anyone’s guess!

4. Scoot (Scooter)

Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, takes on a sportier brand position – with Scooter. Unlike Singapore Airlines, which uses just “Singapore” as its callsign, Scoot has chosen to adopt a quirkier callsign, which clearly aims to differentiate its brand strategy from its sister company’s traditional branding. Our yellow Scooter currently flies from Singapore to 71 destinations across Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe.

5. STARLUX Airlines (Starwalker)

A brand new Taiwanese luxury start-up carrier that has rapidly been gaining traction (and a large fanbase), STARLUX's callsign - Starwalker, was reportedly selected by its CEO, Chang Kuo-Wei, a former EVA Air pilot and executive. It was also evidently inspired by the all-time classic Star Wars. We view Starwalker as a visualisation of STARLUX Airlines' Chinese name 星宇航空 , meaning an airline which travels amongst the stars. As of now, it is the only airline to operate a premium First-Class cabin between Singapore and Taiwan.

6. China Airlines (Dynasty)

Dynasty is the royal-sounding callsign of China Airlines, which certainly captures the roots of Chinese history, and in case you were wondering, it is a Taiwanese airline. Not only does it use the name Dynasty for its callsign, the airline also uses the name for its frequent flyer programme, lounges, and even a subsidiary known as Dynasty Holidays! Get your China SIM card and travel tech gear ready, because you’ll be spoiled for choice by China Airlines’ sprawling network of cities across China, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.

These are just some interesting callsigns of airlines which fly out of Changi Airport, but there are many more unique callsigns to be found elsewhere, such as Springbok, Xanadu, Orange Liner, Super Green, Smart Cat, and Velocity, to name a few. How many of these callsigns have you heard of? Do you know of any other interesting callsigns?

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Decoding the language of the skies: A fascinating world of aviation callsigns