IATA MAP | IATA Traffic Conference Areas (IATA TCs)

IATA Traffic Conference Areas (IATA TCs), it has many different names, such as IATA map, IATA geography, IATA three TCs areas, and IATA traffic conference areas. IATA has been leading the airline industry for over 70 years through its traffic conference provisions which were agreed upon by IATA member airlines in many formal IATA traffic conferences which had been located in different parts of the world.

IATA International Air Transport Association is a commercial community of the most international airlines in the world. IATA's vision is to shape the future growth of safe, secure, and sustainable air transport by representing, leading, and serving the airline industry.

Why has IATA divided the world?

To answer this question, let me give you a summary background of IATA's history. IATA has been working to achieve its aims since April 1945.

IATA starts forming its world geography to manage and solve the commercial matters of air transport such as rates, routes and schedules, and many other commercial matters.

It was difficult for IATA to solve commercial matters in one traffic conference in one location due to many reasons such as government approvals, economic factors, lowering the costs, etc.

In one of the IATA traffic conferences, IATA called for the establishment of many traffic conferences in different parts of the world.

In 1947, the traffic conference locations became three in different parts of the world.

Why not ICAO?

Since April 1947, International Civil Aviation Organization was administering various aeronautical activities to create a single worldwide regime for civil aviation, as well as a government organization. ICAO did not cover the commercial matters of an international airline. ICAO was aiming at setting the basic international aviation regulations {ICAO Annexes to The Convention on International CivilAviation (also known as Chicago Convention) which was agreed upon by contracted states around the world.

IATA Traffic Conferences

IATA traffic conferences were established to deal with all International Air Traffic Matters involving Passengers, Cargo, and Mail in a specific area in the world.

IATA member airlines signed agreements related to:

Fares & rates
Traffic documents (standard forms of passenger's air tickets, baggage checked, air waybills, etc.).
Interline agreements
Administration of sales agents

IATA Vision and IATA member airlines faith have grown-up international air transport step by step with cooperation with ICAO.

IATA Traffic Conference Areas

IATA world geography is not like what we studied in school, in the IATA map, there are few differences. For example, IATA's definition of Europe comprises not only geographical Europe but includes also the following countries and islands:

3 North African countries, i.e. Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia
The Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands.

These countries by IATA geography were situated within the IATA Europe sub-area - IATA area 2.

Although geographically Egypt and Sudan were situated in the African continent, these countries are included by IATA geography in the IATA Middle East sub-area- IATA area 2.

IATA TCs 1,2, 3

To fully understand the routing of Airlines and their respective fare calculations, the IATA map divided the world into three areas known as Traffic Conferences-TC1, TC2, TC3 (Called Passenger Tariff Conference, Passenger services Conference, Cargo services Conference, and Cargo Tariff Conference).

IATA AREA 1

IATA area 1 is further divided into 4 sub-areas. I will list countries in some sub-areas only, you can refer to the official source (IATA publications) for complete countries lists within each IATA area.

IATA AREA 1 – Sub-Areas

§ Caribbean Sub-Area

§ Mexico Sub-Area

§ Canada, the US, Mexico, and St. Pierre & Miquelon

§ Long Haul Sub-area

§ Within South America Sub-Area

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela

IATA AREA 2

IATA area 2 is further divided into 3 sub-areas. I will list countries in some sub-areas only.

IATA AREA 2 - Sub-Areas

1- Within Europe Sub-Area

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Malta, Monaco, Moldova (Republic of), Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal (including Azores and Madeira), Romania, Russia (in Europe), San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia) Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including Canary Islands), Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

I put underline and bold letters for countries which originally located in Africa, but in IATA TC these countries are located in Europe.

2- Within Middle East Sub-Area

3- Within African sub-area

IATA AREA 3

IATA area 3 is further divided into 4 sub-areas. I will list countries in some sub-areas only.

IATA AREA 3 - Sub-Areas

§ South Asian Subcontinent Sub-Area

§ South East Asian Subcontinent Sub-Area

Brunei, Cambodia, China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Guam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Philippines, Russia (East of Ural Mountains), Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Turkmenistan.

3- Southwest Pacific Sub-Area

4- Japan/ Korea Sub-Area

Summary

To fully understand the routing of Airlines and their respective fare calculations, the International Air Transport Association divided the world into three geographical areas known as IATA Tariff Conference 1- 2 -3.

IATA map is covered in many aviation basic training because it is highly used while calculating airfares and rates, and when applying air travel rules.