WARRI: Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has formally asked the International Air Transport Association to review the existing three-letter IATA code assigned to Osubi Airport in Delta State.
The minister is seeking a new code that better reflects the airport’s official name and geographical location.
The request was contained in a letter signed by Keyamo and addressed to IATA’s Area Manager for West and Central Africa, Dr Samuel Fatokun.
Osubi Airport, located in Osubi town near Warri, currently operates with the ICAO four-letter location indicator DNSU and the IATA code QRW.
According to the Federal Government, the continued use of QRW, which is associated with the broader Warri identity, does not sufficiently reflect the airport’s actual name and physical location.
Keyamo therefore asked IATA to commence a formal review of the existing code and consider an alternative three-letter designation that more closely identifies the airport as Osubi.
Among the possible codes suggested for consideration are OSU, OSB, SUB and QSB.
The minister, however, acknowledged that the final decision would depend on IATA’s coding procedures, applicable standards and the availability of the proposed combinations.
In a related directive, Keyamo instructed airlines operating flights to and from the airport to ensure that passenger-facing documents accurately identify the facility as Osubi, Delta State.
The directive covers flight tickets, baggage tags, boarding passes and other relevant travel documents.
The minister also directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and other relevant aviation agencies to ensure that the Osubi designation is consistently reflected across their systems, records, publications and operational platforms.
Keyamo said the move is intended to improve geographical and operational accuracy rather than diminish the airport’s importance to the wider Warri metropolitan area.
The Federal Government explained that Osubi Airport continues to serve the Warri area, but maintained that its official geographical identity should accurately reflect its physical location.
According to the government, aligning the airport’s IATA code and other aviation records with its official name would help strengthen its identity and reduce potential confusion among passengers, airlines and other stakeholders.
It could also promote greater consistency across travel booking platforms, ticketing systems, baggage handling and other aviation information systems.
The proposed change will, however, require approval by IATA before any new code can become official.
The development is part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to ensure that Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, airport locations and operational information are accurately represented in national and international aviation systems.
