Search 6,356 airlines by name, IATA code, ICAO code, AWB prefix, or country. AWB prefixes are the first 3 digits of an air waybill number and identify the issuing carrier (e.g. 176 = Emirates).
Provide ONE parameter: query is a ranked fuzzy search across names and codes; iata / icao / prefix / country are exact filters.
Behavior: read-only; fuzzy query hits report their match quality through the envelope's confidence (basis match_quality, score 0-1) with a FUZZY_BEST_MATCH advisory naming the matched field; a query that contains no name falls back to the closest names in the dataset ("Emirats" → Emirates). A query or country answer is a list: summary rows, 25 per page, with total, truncated and next_offset (full: true for full records); an iata / icao / prefix answer is the holder records in full. Rate-limited: a limit error carries reset_at, the UTC time the allowance resets.
Returns: count and results[] — per airline: airline_name, iata_code, icao_code, awb_prefix[], callsign, country, has_cargo and verification fields (aliases and sources in full records); prefix_shared + prefix_holders on every record with a prefix; on cargo records operational_status (active / ceased / unknown) with operational_status_basis, restrictions[] when the EU or UK Air Safety List names the carrier, and carrier-published cargo_website / tracking_url_template / dg_acceptance_url where they exist — under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).
Limitations: this dataset's provenance is pending independent verification (the envelope's provenance_status says so) — confirm operationally critical codes with IATA/ICAO or the carrier.
Related: airport_lookup (searches AIRPORTS, not carriers), validate (checks an AWB number's check digit and names its airline from this dataset when one record holds the prefix, otherwise lists the candidates).