---
title: "BOM is which airport? Mumbai"
description: "BOM is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India. Where the code comes from, and the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/bom/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is BOM?

**BOM is: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport**

Mumbai, India

## Why the code is BOM

BOMbay, the city's name until 1995.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** BOM
- **ICAO code:** VABB
- **Airport:** Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
- **City:** Mumbai, India
- **Code origin:** Documented

The city became Mumbai in 1995 and the code did not follow, for the same reason PEK is still Peking: an IATA code change ripples through every reservation system in the world. Mumbai's single main runway crosses its secondary one, so only one can be used at a time, which is why it is among the busiest single-runway operations anywhere.

## The other code, VABB

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, BOM, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, VABB, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why VABB looks nothing like BOM.

## Common questions

### What airport is BOM?

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, in Mumbai, India.

### Why is Mumbai's airport called BOM?

BOMbay, the city's name until 1995.

### What is the difference between BOM and VABB?

BOM is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. VABB is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [India](https://atoneplace.net/country/india/)
- [The flag of India](https://atoneplace.net/flag/india/)
- [Airport codes in India](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/india/)
- [What airport is DEL?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/del/)
- [What airport is MAA?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/maa/)
- [What airport is BLR?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/blr/)
- [What airport is CCU?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/ccu/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]