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A domestic passenger plane touched down at Khartoum International Airport on Wednesday, marking the first civilian flight to land in Sudan’s capital since the war erupted more than two years ago — a sign that air travel may be gradually resuming.
According to the Ministry of Media and Culture, a Badr Airlines flight arrived from Port Sudan, marking a symbolic moment for the conflict-torn country. The airport had previously received limited military flights, including those carrying Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, Sudan’s military leader, on at least two occasions earlier this year.
The Sudanese army recaptured the airport in March from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that had seized control of parts of the capital during the conflict. The civil war began when tensions between the two former allies — the military and the RSF — escalated into open fighting. While the army currently holds most of Khartoum, the RSF maintains control over portions of Darfur and other western regions.
The conflict has had devastating consequences. The World Health Organisation estimates that at least 40,000 people have been killed, while around 12 million have been displaced. The United Nations warns that more than 24 million people are now suffering from severe food insecurity.
On Tuesday morning, the RSF launched drone attacks targeting the Khartoum airport, though the military reported successfully intercepting them. Later that evening, RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa (Hemedti) released a video message threatening renewed assaults on aviation facilities.
“Any airplane that takes off from any neighbouring country, any airplane that is dropping supplies, bombing or killing, any drone that takes off from any airport, will be a legitimate target for us,” he said.
Before the airport’s reopening, Gen. Burhan inspected the facility on Tuesday and pledged to defend the population from RSF attacks.
The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority later confirmed, via Sudan News Agency, that domestic flights would officially resume on Wednesday, following the completion of “necessary operational and technical procedures.”
However, uncertainty remains over how many airlines plan to operate through Khartoum International Airport. Officials have yet to issue a statement or provide details about the scope of resumed operations.
