The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has formally asked the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to review the three-letter location code “QRW” assigned to Osubi Airport in Delta State.
The minister is seeking a new code that more accurately reflects the airport’s official name and geographical location.
The request was contained in a letter signed by Keyamo and addressed to Samuel Fatokun, IATA Area Manager for West and Central Africa, according to Tunde Moshood, the minister’s media aide.
Osubi Airport currently uses the ICAO four-letter location indicator “DNSU”, while its IATA code, QRW, is associated with the broader Warri identity.
Keyamo said the airport was physically located in Osubi town, near Warri, Delta State, and argued that its existing IATA code did not adequately reflect its official name and actual location.
“Osubi Airport, which bears the ICAO four-letter location indicator DNSU, is physically located in Osubi town, near Warri, Delta State,” the statement said.
The minister acknowledged that the airport is sometimes informally referred to as “Warri Airport” because it serves the Warri metropolitan area, but stressed that its established geographical designation is Osubi Airport.
“The Federal Government is therefore asking IATA to initiate a formal review of the existing code and, subject to IATA’s applicable coding standards and the availability of suitable combinations, consider a three-letter code that bears a clearer relationship to the name Osubi,” Keyamo said.
He identified OSU, OSB, SUB and QSB as possible alternatives for consideration, while noting that the final designation would remain subject to IATA’s coding procedures and availability.
According to the minister, aligning the airport’s IATA code with its official name and physical location would strengthen its identity, reduce potential ambiguity for passengers and other stakeholders, and promote consistency across aviation, travel, ticketing, baggage and related information systems.
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Keyamo also directed airlines operating flights to and from the airport to ensure that passenger-facing documents, including tickets, luggage tags and boarding passes, reflect the airport’s proper designation as Osubi, Delta State.
He further 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 the designation is consistently reflected in their systems, records, publications and operational interfaces.
The minister said the clarification was intended to ensure geographical and operational accuracy and was not aimed at creating confusion about the airport’s role in serving the wider Warri metropolitan area.
“Osubi is not Warri and Warri is not Osubi,” Keyamo said.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, locations and operational information are accurately represented in national and international aviation systems.
