So, I had a random thought. What's the longest route one can produce using IATA codes that also includes the name of one of the cities involved? The longest one I've managed to find so far is Helsinki: HEL-SIN-KI(x). Here's a list of all the cities I've thought of that fit the criteria in the 5 minutes since I thought of this question:

Helsinki: HEL-SIN-KI(X) on AY + 3K/SQ/TR
Dallas: DAL-LAS on WN
Dublin: DUB-LIN on EI
Boise: BOI-SE(A) on AS/DL
Doha: DOH-A(KL) on QR
Lima: LIM-A(SU) on PZ/T0
Oslo: OSL-O(AK) on DY
Cork: (AL)C-ORK on EI/FR

There are also some IATA codes for cities (LON for London, NYC for New York etc) that work:

PAR-IS(T) on AF/JN/TK
CAI-RO(M) on AZ/MS

Do you have any more?

MAN Manchester
GLA Glasgow
EDI Edinburgh
SEA Seattle
LIS Lisbon
FRA Frankfurt

Oops totally misread this and couldn't delete the previous post

This hits 6 out of 7 letters:
FUKuOKA:
Japan: Fukuoka to Naha (FUK to OKA) on a number of carriers. A high volume route in fact.

mdavies06 wrote:

This hits 6 out of 7 letters:
FUKuOKA:
Japan: Fukuoka to Naha (FUK to OKA) on a number of carriers. A high volume route in fact.

While not consecutive, still a nice find!

Reus - London Stansted on Ryanair, Jet2 and Thomas Cook Airlines would make REU-S(TN).

Miami-Merida MIA-MI(D) on American Eagle

LON- DON [Any London airport to that well known city in Guatemala, Dos Lagunas - not a route currently flown I fear.

Dacca: DAC-CA(N) by CZ (Dacca is the old spelling of Dhaka, Bangladesh.)

Tunis - Istanbul is

TUN-IS(t)

on TU & TK.

close but no sigar:
Nairobi-Monrovia is:

NAI-ROB. on kq


It would require a military plane but:

AMS-TER-DAM

Amsterdam-Lajes Airport-Damascus.

SRQKEF wrote:

So, I had a random thought. What's the longest route one can produce using IATA codes that also includes the name of one of the cities involved?

Something like Oakland-Kiev -- OAK-IEV -- would give you (OA-)KIEV, and more than 6 000 miles
Because we need any starting airport code, ending with a K, one can get creative
For example, Hokitika Aairport is in New Zealand, has a code HKK, and according to Great Circle mapper, HKK-IEV is 10 510 miles
Maybe there's something longer.

Phosphorus wrote:

Something like Oakland-Kiev -- OAK-IEV -- would give you (OA-)KIEV, and more than 6 000 miles
Because we need any starting airport code, ending with a K, one can get creative
For example, Hokitika Aairport is in New Zealand, has a code HKK, and according to Great Circle mapper, HKK-IEV is 10 510 miles
Maybe there's something longer.

FlyRow wrote:

It would require a military plane but:

AMS-TER-DAM

Amsterdam-Lajes Airport-Damascus.

Those routes aren't served on any airline and therefor don't count. We're looking for routes flown by one or more airlines.

Earlier one route was mentioned, Dublin - Milan Linate (DUB-LIN) served by Aer Lingus. There is one other city that ends on lin, that's Berlin so you could make BER-LIN. However there are no flights between Berlin and Minan Linate, so it's not valid.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Phosphorus wrote:

Something like Oakland-Kiev -- OAK-IEV -- would give you (OA-)KIEV, and more than 6 000 miles
Because we need any starting airport code, ending with a K, one can get creative
For example, Hokitika Aairport is in New Zealand, has a code HKK, and according to Great Circle mapper, HKK-IEV is 10 510 miles
Maybe there's something longer.

FlyRow wrote:

It would require a military plane but:

AMS-TER-DAM

Amsterdam-Lajes Airport-Damascus.

Those routes aren't served on any airline and therefor don't count. We're looking for routes flown by one or more airlines.

Earlier one route was mentioned, Dublin - Milan Linate (DUB-LIN) served by Aer Lingus. There is one other city that ends on lin, that's Berlin so you could make BER-LIN. However there are no flights between Berlin and Minan Linate, so it's not valid.

Take a breather.......

It would require a military plane but

I already acknowledged the fact that It wouldn't count for real.

LON-PER on QF?

Leej wrote:

LON-PER on QF?

How is Lonper a city?

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Leej wrote:

LON-PER on QF?

How is Lonper a city?

D'oh I get it now lol....

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Those routes aren't served on any airline and therefor don't count. We're looking for routes flown by one or more airlines.

OP doesn't limit it to routes actually flown:

SRQKEF wrote:

What's the longest route one can produce using IATA codes that also includes the name of one of the cities involved?

Luxemburg: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LUX-EMB-URG
Madrid: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=MAD-RID
Lisbon: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LIS-BON
Peking (using German spelling): http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=pek-ing

and a few which are close, but not quite
Mexico City: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=MEX-ICO-CIT
GOT-EBO-RG(A): http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=GOT-EBO-RGA
Dusseldorf: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DUS-SEL-DOR

OlafW wrote:

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Those routes aren't served on any airline and therefor don't count. We're looking for routes flown by one or more airlines.

OP doesn't limit it to routes actually flown:

SRQKEF wrote:

What's the longest route one can produce using IATA codes that also includes the name of one of the cities involved?

Luxemburg: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LUX-EMB-URG
Madrid: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=MAD-RID
Lisbon: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LIS-BON
Peking (using German spelling): http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=pek-ing

and a few which are close, but not quite
Mexico City: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=MEX-ICO-CIT
GOT-EBO-RG(A): http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=GOT-EBO-RGA
Dusseldorf: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DUS-SEL-DOR

I didn't specify it, however listing the airline after each route in my OP certainly implied it.

Nevertheless a nice list you compiled there!

UME-A(RN) on SAS/Norwegian.

After failing to find anything for HAN (Hanoi), DEL (Delhi), PUS (Busan/Pusan) and even using city code, OSA (Osaka), finally find one:

Cebu: CEB-U(SU) (Busuanga) on PR.

No non-stop (only "direct") flight, but:
Daegu (Taegu, the old transliteration): TAE-GU(M), although TW only fly TAE-KIX-GUM.

zakuivcustom wrote:

Daegu (Taegu, the old transliteration): TAE-GU(M), although TW only fly TAE-KIX-GUM.

That way you can make a lot more, like DEN-VER (Denver - Veracruz) on United Express. However the route would be DEN-IAH-VER (Denver - Houston - Veracruz).

PatrickZ80 wrote:

zakuivcustom wrote:

Daegu (Taegu, the old transliteration): TAE-GU(M), although TW only fly TAE-KIX-GUM.

That way you can make a lot more, like DEN-VER (Denver - Veracruz) on United Express. However the route would be DEN-IAH-VER (Denver - Houston - Veracruz).

I guess the difference is that something like DEN-VER (via IAH) is 2 different flights, while TW's TAE-KIX-GUM is a "direct" flight (i.e. Same flight number, TW311). Ultimarely, though, it is more of a honorable mention than a flight that fit the original criteria anyway.