FG seeks IATA review of Osubi Airport code

The Federal Government has formally requested the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to review and change the three-letter location code assigned to Osubi Airport in Delta State.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made the request in an official letter to Dr. Samuel Fatokun, the IATA Area Manager for West and Central Africa.

The request, according to a statement issued on Monday by the Minister’s media aide, Tunde Moshood, is aimed at securing a code that more accurately reflects the airport’s official name and its actual geographical location rather than the current “QRW” code.

Osubi Airport, which has the ICAO four-letter location indicator DNSU, is physically located in Osubi town near Warri in Delta State.

The airport is sometimes referred to informally as Warri Airport because it serves the Warri metropolitan area and is closely associated with the commercial city.

However, the Federal Government said its established geographical designation remains Osubi Airport.

Keyamo said the continued use of the IATA code QRW, which is associated with the broader Warri identity, “does not adequately reflect the airport’s actual name and physical location.”

In an aviation industry where three-letter codes are used on flight tickets, baggage tags, boarding passes, reservation systems and international travel platforms, the government argues that “the correct identification of an airport matters.”

A wrong or confusing identity, therefore, can potentially create uncertainty for travellers and stakeholders.

It is against this background that Keyamo has asked IATA to initiate a formal review of QRW and consider a replacement code that has a clearer relationship with Osubi.

Among the possible alternatives suggested by the Federal Government are OSU, OSB, SUB and QSB.

The government, however, recognises that the final decision is not entirely within its control.

Any new designation must satisfy IATA’s established coding procedures and must also be available for assignment.

Keyamo believes such a change would help “strengthen the airport’s identity while reducing potential ambiguity for passengers and other stakeholders”.

But the Minister is not stopping at the IATA request.

In a related directive, airlines operating flights to and from the airport have been instructed to ensure that passenger-facing documents properly identify the facility as Osubi, Delta State.

Flight tickets, luggage tags, boarding passes and other relevant documentation are expected to reflect the airport’s proper designation.

The Minister has also directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other relevant aviation agencies to ensure that the correct designation is consistently reflected across their systems, records, publications and operational interfaces.

“Osubi is not Warri and Warri is not Osubi,” he insisted.