Sudan resumes domestic flights to Khartoum airport after nearly two years

Sudan resumes domestic flights to Khartoum airport after nearly two years
South Sudanese families arrive for their flight at Khartoum airport June 6, 2012.
Reuters

Sudan on Sunday restarted domestic passenger flights to Khartoum International Airport for the first time since the war erupted in April 2023, as a Sudan Airways plane arrived from Port Sudan, state media reported.

The flight, operated by Sudan’s national carrier and carrying civilian passengers, landed after almost two years of suspension caused by fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the state news agency SUNA.

SUNA said the move reflects Sudan Airways’ commitment to its national role in reconnecting cities and easing travel difficulties for citizens affected by the conflict.

The agency described the landing as a significant step towards the gradual restoration of operations at Khartoum airport and a sign of a new phase of relative stability, with daily life slowly returning to the capital.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF has devastated large parts of Khartoum since April 2023, with battles around key military bases, government buildings and transport infrastructure.

The airport was shut after runways and surrounding facilities were damaged by shelling and air strikes, and because the area became an active combat zone, making civilian aviation unsafe.

In October 2025, Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority said it was planning to reopen the airport, but the facility was later targeted several times by drone attacks. The Sudanese army said it had intercepted drones launched by the RSF towards the airport.

Khartoum International Airport, Sudan’s main aviation hub, has been closed since the early days of the war, severely disrupting air travel across the country due to its central location and capacity.

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