FG Seeks New IATA Airport Code for Osubi, Moves to End Warri Identity Confusion
Oluwatobi Adu DELTA, Nigeria- The Federal Government has formally requested the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to review the commercial airport code assigned to Osubi Airport in Delta State as part of efforts to eliminate persistent confusion over the facility’s identity.
The request, made on Monday, seeks a three-letter airport code that better reflects Osubi’s official name and geographical location.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the existing QRW designation has created an unnecessary disconnect between the airport’s identity and its physical location.
He directed airlines to consistently identify the facility as Osubi Airport on tickets, boarding passes and baggage tags.
The minister also instructed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to enforce the uniform use of the airport’s official name.
In a letter to IATA’s Area Manager for West and Central Africa, the Federal Government proposed four possible replacement codes—OSU, OSB, SUB and QSB—while acknowledging that the final decision would depend on IATA’s code allocation guidelines and availability.
Keyamo maintained that “Osubi is not Warri and Warri is not Osubi,” stressing that aligning the airport code with its actual location would strengthen its identity, reduce passenger confusion and improve consistency across aviation information systems.
IATA is expected to review the request under its established code assignment procedures.
Meanwhile, the airport’s four-letter ICAO code, DNSU, remains unchanged, while QRW will continue to be used until IATA reaches a final decision.
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