geo

name

geo

description

Geographic data validator for aviation and travel applications. Use when user says "geo audit", "check airports", "validate routes", "geo skill", "check geographic data", "verify iata codes", "check distances", or when reviewing any code/data that involves airport codes (IATA/ICAO), city-to-airport mappings, country codes (ISO 3166), flight distances, flight time estimates, flag URLs, or route feasibility. Also use for timezone validation, coordinate checks, and geopolitical accuracy (country names, disputed territories, naming conventions).

Geographic Data Validator

Systematic validation of geographic data in aviation/travel applications.

Audit Process

Run each validation category. Flag every error. Score each category 0-10.

---

Category 1: IATA Airport Code Validation

Checks

• Code format: All IATA codes are exactly 3 uppercase letters.
• Code existence: Every code maps to a real, operational airport.
• Code currency: No closed/decommissioned airports (e.g., TXL closed 2020).
• Multi-airport cities: Correct airport chosen for the city.
  • Berlin: BER (not TXL or SXF, both closed)
  • London: LHR (Heathrow), LGW (Gatwick), STN (Stansted), LTN (Luton), LCY (City)
  • New York: JFK (Kennedy), EWR (Newark), LGA (LaGuardia)
  • Tokyo: NRT (Narita), HND (Haneda)
  • Paris: CDG (Charles de Gaulle), ORY (Orly)
  • Istanbul: IST (Istanbul Airport, not SAW which is Sabiha Gokcen)
  • Mumbai: BOM (not MUM)
  • Rome: FCO (Fiumicino, not CIA Ciampino for international)
• Primary airport: For programmatic pages, use the PRIMARY international airport.

Common IATA Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
TXL	BER	Berlin Tegel closed Nov 2020
SXF	BER	Berlin Schonefeld renamed to BER
SAW	IST	Istanbul Airport (IST) is the main hub since 2019
MUC	MUC	Correct (Munich)
HAM	HAM	Correct (Hamburg)
FRA	FRA	Correct (Frankfurt)
DUS	DUS	Correct (Dusseldorf)

---

Category 2: City Name Accuracy

Checks

• English names: Using standard English city names (not local names in English context).
  • Mumbai (not Bombay), Beijing (not Peking), Kolkata (not Calcutta)
  • BUT: standard English names where established (Munich not Munchen, Rome not Roma)
• German names: Using standard German city names in DE context.
  • Munchen (not Munich), Rom (not Rome), Lissabon (not Lisbon)
  • BUT: keep English for international cities (New York, not Neuyork)
• Slug consistency: Slugs use English city names regardless of locale.
  • munich-to-istanbul (not muenchen-nach-istanbul)
• City-airport alignment: City name matches the airport's actual city.
  • FRA is in Frankfurt (correct), not "Frankfurt am Main" in slugs
  • NRT is Narita but city should be "Tokyo" (that's where travelers mean)
  • FCO is Fiumicino but city should be "Rome"
  • ORY is Orly but city should be "Paris"
  • LHR is Heathrow but city should be "London"

Slug Generation Rules

lowercase(english_city_name_origin) + "-to-" + lowercase(english_city_name_destination)

Use the CITY name, not the airport name. "hamburg-to-london" not "hamburg-to-heathrow".

---

Category 3: Country Code Validation (ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2)

Checks

• Format: All country codes are exactly 2 uppercase letters.
• Existence: Every code is a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
• Currency: Using current codes (not historical).
• Geopolitical sensitivity: Correct handling of disputed territories.
  • Taiwan: TW (ISO standard, but some APIs use CN)
  • Kosovo: XK (not ISO standard but widely used)
  • Palestine: PS
  • Hong Kong: HK (not CN)
  • Macau: MO (not CN)

Flag URL Validation (flagcdn.com)

https://flagcdn.com/{width}x{height}/{lowercase_country_code}.png

• Country code MUST be lowercase in URL: de not DE
• Standard sizes: 16x12, 20x15, 24x18, 28x21, 32x24, 40x30, 48x36, 56x42, 64x48, 80x60
• Retina: use 2x size in srcSet (e.g., 40x30 base, 80x60 2x)
• Some codes don't have flags on flagcdn (e.g., XK for Kosovo)

---

Category 4: Flight Distance & Time Estimates

Checks

• Great-circle distance: Within 5% of actual great-circle distance between airports.
• Flight time formula: distance_km / 850 + 0.5 hours (850 km/h avg cruise + 30min taxi/climb/descend).
• Reasonableness check: Flight times match reality within 15%.

Reference Distances (verify against these)

Route	Distance (km)	Typical Flight Time
BER-LHR	930	1h 55m
FRA-JFK	6,200	8h 30m
MUC-IST	1,580	2h 45m
BER-CDG	880	1h 50m
FRA-DEL	6,600	8h 00m
FRA-BKK	9,000	11h 00m
FRA-DXB	4,850	6h 00m
BER-BCN	1,500	2h 35m
BER-AMS	580	1h 25m
FRA-NRT	9,350	11h 30m
BER-JFK	6,400	9h 00m

Stops Classification

Distance (km)	Typical Stops
< 1,500	Direct (0 stops)
1,500 - 4,000	Direct or 1 stop
4,000 - 8,000	Direct (major hubs) or 1 stop
> 8,000	Direct or 1-2 stops

Flags

• Flight time < 45 min: verify route exists (too short for commercial)
• Flight time > 18 hours: verify this is a real route (may need 1+ stops)
• Distance > 15,000 km: almost certainly requires a stop

---

Category 5: Route Feasibility

Checks

• Route actually exists: Airlines operate scheduled service on this route (direct or common 1-stop).
• Seasonal routes: Flag routes that are seasonal only (e.g., summer charters).
• Hub logic: Origin-destination pairing makes geographic sense.
  • FRA-DEL: Yes (Lufthansa hub to major Indian city)
  • HAM-NRT: Questionable (no direct, would connect via FRA/MUC)
• Airline availability: Named airlines actually fly this route.
• Directional logic: For reverse routes, verify demand exists (diaspora corridors, business travel).

German Hub Routes (verified operational)

Hub	Primary Long-Haul Destinations (Direct Service)
FRA	JFK, EWR, ORD, LAX, SFO, YYZ, DEL, BOM, BKK, SIN, HKG, NRT, HND, PEK, DXB, DOH, JNB, GRU, BOG
MUC	JFK, ORD, LAX, DEL, BKK, SIN, HKG, NRT, PEK, DXB, DOH, JNB
BER	JFK (seasonal), DXB, IST, ATH, BCN, AMS, LHR, CDG, FCO, LIS
HAM	LHR, IST, BCN, ATH, DXB (mostly European, limited long-haul)
DUS	JFK (seasonal), DXB, IST, ATH, BCN, PMI

---

Category 6: Geopolitical Accuracy

Checks

• Conflict zone alignment: Routes flagged as "near conflict zone" actually pass near that zone.
  • BER-IST: Passes near Black Sea / Ukraine zone (correct)
  • FRA-DEL: Passes near Iran/Pakistan airspace (correct)
  • FRA-BKK: Overflies Iran or detours south (correct to flag)
  • BER-LHR: Does NOT pass near any conflict zone (correct to not flag)
• Safety level accuracy: Zone risk levels match current data.
• Country name sensitivity: Using internationally recognized names.
  • "Turkiye" (official) vs "Turkey" (common English): use "Turkey" in English context
  • "Myanmar" (official) vs "Burma": use "Myanmar"
• Airspace routing: Commercial flights may not fly the great-circle route due to airspace restrictions. Flagging conflict zones should consider actual likely routing, not just great-circle proximity.

---

Scoring

Category	Score	Notes
1. IATA Code Validation	/10
2. City Name Accuracy	/10
3. Country Code Validation	/10
4. Distance & Time Estimates	/10
5. Route Feasibility	/10
6. Geopolitical Accuracy	/10
Overall	/10	Average

Passing score: 9/10 overall. Geographic errors in production are factual errors that destroy user trust.

---

Quick Audit Command

When invoked as /geo, validate all geographic data in the current plan or code. Check every IATA code, city name, distance, flight time, and route feasibility. Output the scoring table with specific errors found.

Data Sources for Verification

• Airport codes: IATA official list, airportcodes.io, Wikipedia "List of airports by IATA code"
• Distances: Great Circle Mapper (gcmap.com), or calculate from coordinates using Haversine formula
• Flight times: Google Flights actual results, airline schedules
• Country codes: ISO 3166-1, restcountries.com API
• Conflict zones: EUROCONTROL NOTAMs