---
title: "FCO is which airport? Rome"
description: "FCO is Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy. Why the code is FCO and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/fco/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is FCO?

**FCO is: Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport**

Rome, Italy

## Why the code is FCO

FiumiCinO, the town it sits in, not Rome and not Leonardo.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** FCO
- **ICAO code:** LIRF
- **Airport:** Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport
- **City:** Rome, Italy
- **Code origin:** Documented

Excavation for the airport uncovered the harbour of Claudius and a set of Roman ships, now in a museum on the site. Rome's other airport, Ciampino, holds CIA — a code that causes a predictable amount of confusion in search results.

## Codes people book by mistake

| Code | What it actually is |
| --- | --- |
| CIA | Ciampino, Rome's second airport. Yes, the code really is CIA. |

## The other code, LIRF

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, FCO, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, LIRF, 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 LIRF looks nothing like FCO.

## Common questions

### What airport is FCO?

Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, in Rome, Italy.

### Why is Rome's airport called FCO?

FiumiCinO, the town it sits in, not Rome and not Leonardo.

### What is the difference between FCO and LIRF?

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

### Is FCO the same as CIA?

No. CIA is ciampino, Rome's second airport. Yes, the code really is CIA.

## Related pages

- [Italy](https://atoneplace.net/country/italy/)
- [The flag of Italy](https://atoneplace.net/flag/italy/)
- [Airport codes in Italy](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/italy/)
- [What airport is MXP?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/mxp/)

## Sources

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