The Federal Government has asked the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to review the three-letter code assigned to Osubi Airport in Delta State, arguing that its current designation does not accurately reflect the airport’s official name or location.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made the request in a letter to IATA’s Area Manager for West and Central Africa, Samuel Fatokun, according to a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Tunde Moshood.

Osubi Airport is located in Osubi town near Warri and operates under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) location code DNSU. However, its IATA code, QRW, is associated with the Warri identity, leading to the airport being commonly referred to as Warri Airport.

Keyamo said the continued use of QRW creates an identity mismatch because the facility is formally located in Osubi.

The minister therefore asked IATA to consider replacing QRW with a code that better corresponds with Osubi.

The Federal Government proposed OSU, OSB, SUB and QSB as possible alternatives, subject to IATA’s coding requirements and the availability of the preferred designation.

According to Keyamo, changing the code would provide a clearer identity for the airport and minimise possible confusion among passengers and other stakeholders.

The minister has also directed airlines operating at the airport to identify the facility as Osubi, Delta State, on passenger documents, including tickets, baggage tags and boarding passes.

Relevant aviation agencies, including the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, have similarly been directed to ensure that the correct designation is reflected in their systems, records, publications and operational platforms.

Emphasising the distinction between the airport’s location and the city it serves, Keyamo said, “Osubi is not Warri and Warri is not Osubi.”