Keyamo Requests IATA To Review Osubi Airport Location Code

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has formally asked the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to reassess the current three-letter airport designation "QRW" for Osubi Airport in Delta State. This request aims to assign a code that better aligns with the airport's official name and geographical identity, according to a letter addressed to IATA's Area Manager for West and Central Africa, Dr. Samuel Fatokun.

Osubi Airport, identified by the ICAO four-letter code DNSU, is situated in Osubi town, close to Warri, Delta State. While often informally referred to as "Warri Airport" due to its service to the Warri region, the federal government has made clear that its official name is Osubi Airport. Keyamo argues that utilizing the IATA code QRW, which is tied to the larger Warri identity, does not accurately represent the airport's name and location.

Consequently, the government is urging IATA to conduct a formal review of the present code and, with IATA's coding standards in mind and the availability of appropriate alternatives, contemplate a three-letter code that is more closely connected to the name Osubi. Suggested alternatives include OSU, OSB, SUB, and QSB, though the final decision still falls under IATA's established coding protocols and availability.

Keyamo, as reported by his SA Media Tunde Moshood, believes that aligning the airport's IATA code with its official name and physical location will enhance the airport's identity, lessen passenger and stakeholder confusion, and foster consistency in aviation, travel, ticketing, baggage, and related information systems. The minister has also instructed all airlines operating to and from the airport to ensure that tickets, luggage tags, boarding passes, and other passenger-facing materials reflect the airport's correct designation as Osubi, Delta State.

Additionally, he has ordered the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and other pertinent aviation agencies to consistently reflect and enforce the proper designation across their systems, records, publications, and operational interfaces.

The minister emphasized that this clarification aims to ensure geographical and operational accuracy, rather than cause confusion regarding the airport's role in serving the broader Warri metropolitan area. He firmly stated, "Osubi is not Warri and Warri is not Osubi," while reiterating the government's commitment to accurately representing Nigeria's aviation infrastructure, locations, and operational information in national and international aviation systems.