Narrative:

We have been fighting a similar sounding call sign issue with a certain air carrier since apr/xa/00. Today while working local west at cvg ATCT, I had the following line ups with aircraft landing and departing runway 18R and departing runway 27. Air carrier xxyz landing runway 18R. Air carrier xyyz departing runway 18R. The line up of departures on runway 27 included. Air carrier xxzz, air carrier XXXX, air carrier xyyy, air carrier xzzy, air carrier xyyy, air carrier xzzz, air carrier XXXZ and air carrier yxyy. Between the call signs and the use of runway 27, this creates the ultimate bad situation. Consider all these aircraft go to the same departure controller passing out altitudes and headings to ensure separation. Today nothing happened, but it is only a matter of time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that controller and management were proactive in resolving this problem. The company has implemented a change in their call sign assignment. Implementation was delayed twice due to company internal equipment modifications, requiring new equipment designations to identify and correctly dispatch baggage to corrected flight numbers. Reporter has encountered similar call signs since changes have taken place, but states that the elimination of the 4-DIGIT call sign has made such sits manageable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CVG LCL CTLR CONCERN WITH MULTIPLE, SIMILAR COMPANY CALL SIGNS DURING ARR DEP TFC RUSH.

Narrative: WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN ISSUE WITH A CERTAIN ACR SINCE APR/XA/00. TODAY WHILE WORKING LCL W AT CVG ATCT, I HAD THE FOLLOWING LINE UPS WITH ACFT LNDG AND DEPARTING RWY 18R AND DEPARTING RWY 27. ACR XXYZ LNDG RWY 18R. ACR XYYZ DEPARTING RWY 18R. THE LINE UP OF DEPS ON RWY 27 INCLUDED. ACR XXZZ, ACR XXXX, ACR XYYY, ACR XZZY, ACR XYYY, ACR XZZZ, ACR XXXZ AND ACR YXYY. BTWN THE CALL SIGNS AND THE USE OF RWY 27, THIS CREATES THE ULTIMATE BAD SIT. CONSIDER ALL THESE ACFT GO TO THE SAME DEP CTLR PASSING OUT ALTS AND HEADINGS TO ENSURE SEPARATION. TODAY NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT CTLR AND MGMNT WERE PROACTIVE IN RESOLVING THIS PROB. THE COMPANY HAS IMPLEMENTED A CHANGE IN THEIR CALL SIGN ASSIGNMENT. IMPLEMENTATION WAS DELAYED TWICE DUE TO COMPANY INTERNAL EQUIP MODIFICATIONS, REQUIRING NEW EQUIP DESIGNATIONS TO IDENT AND CORRECTLY DISPATCH BAGGAGE TO CORRECTED FLT NUMBERS. RPTR HAS ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR CALL SIGNS SINCE CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE, BUT STATES THAT THE ELIMINATION OF THE 4-DIGIT CALL SIGN HAS MADE SUCH SITS MANAGEABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.