FG asks IATA to change Osubi airport code

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The Federal Government has moved to correct what it considers a longstanding identity problem surrounding Osubi Airport in Delta State, with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, formally asking the International Air Transport Association to review the airport’s existing three-letter code, QRW.

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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.

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The statement quoted a letter Keyamo addressed to the IATA Area Manager for West and Central Africa, Samuel Fatokun.

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Osubi Airport, which bears the International Civil Aviation Organisation four-letter location indicator DNSU, is physically situated in Osubi town, near Warri, Delta State.

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Over the years, however, the facility has often been referred to as “Warri Airport”, largely because it serves the Warri metropolitan area and is closely associated with the commercial city.

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The government now wants that description to be separated from the airport’s formal geographical identity.

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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.”

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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.”

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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But the Minister is not stopping at the IATA request.

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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.

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

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

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He added that, “Osubi is not Warri and Warri is not Osubi.”

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