…Directs airlines, agencies to reflect ‘Osubi, Delta State’ not Warri in documents

The Federal Government has formally asked the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to review the three-letter location code “QRW” currently assigned to Osubi Airport, Delta State, and replace it with a code that reflects the airport’s actual name and location.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, made the request in a letter to IATA’s Area Manager for West and Central Africa, Dr Samuel Fatokun.

Osubi Airport operates with the ICAO code DNSU and is physically located in Osubi town near Warri. While it is often informally referred to as “Warri Airport” because it serves the Warri metropolis, the government insists its official designation remains Osubi Airport.

“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,” Keyamo said.

The Minister asked IATA to consider new three-letter codes that bear a clearer relationship to Osubi. Suggested options include OSU, OSB, SUB and QSB, subject to IATA’s coding standards and availability.

According to him, aligning the code with the airport’s name will strengthen its identity, reduce ambiguity for passengers, and ensure consistency across ticketing, baggage handling and other aviation systems.

In a related directive, Keyamo ordered all airlines operating to and from the airport to ensure flight tickets, boarding passes, luggage tags and other passenger documents reflect the proper designation as “Osubi, Delta State.”

He also directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other agencies to enforce the designation across their systems, records and publications.

The Minister stressed that the move is for geographical and operational accuracy, not to diminish the airport’s role in serving Warri and its environs.

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

The Federal Government said it remains committed to ensuring Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure and location data are accurately represented in both national and international systems.

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