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The flight number is published in an airline's public timetable and appears on
the arrivals and departure screens in the airport terminals.
In cases of emergency, the airline name and flight number, rather than the call
sign, are normally mentioned by the main news media.
Some call signs are less obviously associated with a particular airline than
others. This might be for historic reasons (South African Airways uses the
callsign "Springbok", hearkening back to the airline's old livery which featured a springbok),
or possibly to avoid confusion with a call sign used by an established airline.
Companies' assigned names may change as a result of mergers, acquisitions, or change in
company name or status; British Airways uses BOAC's old callsign ("Speedbird"), as British
Airways was formed by a merger of BOAC and British European Airways. Country names can
also change over time and new call signs may be agreed in substitution for traditional ones.
The country shown alongside an airline's call sign is that wherein most of its aircraft are
believed to be registered, which may not always be the same as the country in which the firm
is officially incorporated or registered.
There are many other airlines in business whose radio call signs are more obviously derived
from the trading name.
The callsign should ideally resemble the operator's name or function and not be confused
with callsigns used by other operators.
The callsign should be easily and phonetically pronounceable in at least English, the
international language of aviation. For example, Air France's callsign is "Airfrans"; 'frans' is the
phonetic spelling of ‘France’.
A - Z of Flight
June 2017
www.alliance-airways.net
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