How to Play AirportQ
The daily airport guessing game. Five guesses, real airline departure data, two mystery airports every day.
Play today's puzzle →The rules
Two airports. Five guesses each. Type the name or IATA code. You win when you name the right airport within five tries.
The starting clue is always the top three operating airlines by daily departures, ranked. That alone is often enough for aviation fans. Each wrong guess unlocks more context -- the mix of flight types (percentage domestic, short-haul, long-haul), and finally the region.
Two modes, two puzzles per day
US mode — the mystery airport is somewhere in the United States. Easier if you know the US aviation network. Think ATL, ORD, DFW, CLT, DEN plus smaller hubs like SEA, LAS, MSP, DTW, LGA.
World mode — the answer could be any major airport globally. LHR, CDG, FRA, AMS, IST, DXB, SIN, HND, NRT, ICN, and many more.
Strategy tips
- Legacy carrier pairings tell you the region fast. Delta + American + United means a major US airport. Air France + KLM + Lufthansa means a Europe-to-Europe hub.
- Low-cost carriers have fingerprints. Southwest dominance = Las Vegas, Baltimore, Dallas Love Field, Midway. Ryanair dominance = London Stansted, Bergamo, Brussels Charleroi.
- Three-letter airlines with odd codes usually mean regional markets. OS = Austrian (Vienna), SN = Brussels (BRU), TG = Thai (BKK).
- The flight-mix clue is underrated. 90% domestic = hub airport in a big country. 70% long-haul = international gateway.
- Don't waste guesses on random airports. Narrow aggressively based on the airline mix before committing.
FAQ
How do you play AirportQ?
AirportQ gives you two mystery airports each day -- one US hub and one from anywhere in the world. You have five guesses per airport. The clues are the top three operating airlines, a flight-mix breakdown (domestic, short-haul, long-haul percentages), and the region.
What's the difference between US mode and World mode?
US mode restricts the answer to airports inside the United States -- great for aviation fans who know the domestic network well. World mode pulls from every major commercial airport globally. Both modes launch a new puzzle daily.
How do the airline clues work in AirportQ?
We pull live departure data from the real flight network. The top three airlines by daily departures from the mystery airport are your clue. Hubs are very distinctive: if Delta is #1 with 400+ departures, you're looking at ATL, JFK, DTW, MSP, or LGA.
How do you win AirportQ?
Type the airport name or IATA code. A correct guess wins immediately. Wrong guesses show the great-circle distance and compass direction to the correct airport, plus a new clue.
When do new AirportQ puzzles drop?
Midnight Eastern every day. Weekends use the same schedule.
Do I need to know airline codes for AirportQ?
No. You can type full airport names. IATA codes (3-letter) and ICAO codes (4-letter) also work if you prefer the shortcut.
What's the best AirportQ strategy?
Start with the airline mix. If you see two legacy US carriers in the top three (say Delta + American), you're almost certainly looking at a major US hub they both serve. If the top airline is Ryanair, you're in Europe and specifically at a low-cost carrier hub like STN, CRL, BGY.