Which similar (IATA) named airports are furthest apart, geographically? (bonus points if they're different countries/continents/separated by ocean/speak different languages)
By similar I mean either: a) change one letter (LHP-LHR), or b) switch two adjacent letters, or c) otherwise where one name might tend to be confused for another city (examples below).
Some examples:
- BEI is Beica, Ethiopia not Beijing, China (PEK)
- COP is not Copenhagen (CPH), but Cooperstown-Westville Airport, NY, US ; and neither is KPH (Pauloff Harbor Seaplane Base, Sanak Island, Alaska, US)
- JOH is Port Saint Johns, South Africa, not Johannesburg (JNB)
- SIN is Singapore not Las Vegas (LAS)
- SEN is London Southend Airport, UK not Senegal
- STP is St. Paul Downtown Airport (Holman Field), Minnesota, US not St Petersburg, Russia (LED) which is also not the other St Petersburg (PIE)
- SUN is ironically in Hailey, Idaho, US, not anywhere sunny. Equally ironically, DRK is Drake Bay, Costa Rica
- TOR is Torrington, Wyoming, US not Toronto, Canada (YYZ) or the other nine
- GAT is not London Gatwick (LGW) but Tallard Airport, Gap, France
- LHR (London Heathrow) - LHP (Lehu, Papua New Guinea)
- ROM (Rome) - ROP (Rota Island, Northern Mariana Islands)
- MAD (Madrid) - MAE (Madera Municipal Airport, California, US)
- Delta Municipal Airport (DTA) is in Utah, nowhere near Delta's hub of ATL
- At least USA (Concord, North Carolina, US) is in the USA. But CHN is in Korea. Whereas KOR is in Papua New Guinea.
Serious motivations:
- This is a thought of mine, ever since I had to rebook and jump on a flight to San Jose SJC in a hurry, I was not 100% familiar with US airport codes, my employer required us to make all bookings through a not-so-reliable internet-based travel agent and wondered as I woke up just before landing whether might have actually sent me to SJO Costa Rica (/SJE/...)
- @nemirni below cites a newspaper report about two German tourists ending up in Rijeka,Croatia (RJK) instead of Reykjavik, Iceland(RYK) as intended due to wrong booking.
- Several years ago, Hotwire and Orbitz used to sell some truly insane 36+hour international itineraries (through third and fourth countries) in response to legitimate inquiries like "SFO-LHR" or "SFO-DUB"; a flight which should typically take 14.5 hours (nonstop) or 18 hours (with one connection). I saw some bizarre routings through obscure minor Canadian and US airports (which could require Canadian visa); also some European countries.
