Unlikely but ambitious? Sudanese civilians launch fundraising initiative to buy 10 new planes for national carrier
February 21, 2026
Sudan Airways is planning to expand its current fleet of one aircraft tenfold under a new fundraising initiative. Researched by this publication, it appears that the initiative was launched by a Sudanese lawyer and has received tacit support from at least 5000 people per a Facebook group.
Although unlikely to materialise into sufficient financing for a new fleet, it has received attention from several local and international Arabic media.
The plan to expand the Sudan Airways fleet
According to a report by Al Mashhad Al Sudani, Sudanese citizens have launched a fundraising initiative aimed at garnering the necessary financing for 10 aircraft. The details of this initiative are not immediately clear, but it is organised through a Facebook group launched by Anwar Sadat Qandil.
With more than 5000 members, the group is slowly gaining nationwide attention. However, it lacks a concrete plan. According to publications on the group, members have been discussing possible fleet plans though no clear direction has been taken.
The first step calls for the opening of a bank account at the Bank of Sudan “with the signatures three individuals: Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta, the Minister of Finance and the Director of Sudan Airways.”
Indeed, a financing initiative is unlikely to be enough to accumulate the many millions required for new aircraft, much less ten. It is an admirable initiative nonetheless.
Sudan Airways’ challenging operational context
Sudan Airways currently operates a single Airbus A320 aircraft, leaving its operations vulnerable to ad-hoc and indeed planned maintenance requirements. Most recently, the aircraft was out of service for several months undergoing repairs in India – meaning the airline was completely grounded.
Sudan Airways’ supposed expansion comes at a difficult time for the country which has been engulfed in a civil war since 2023. A violent power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under the internationally recognised government and the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
However, there have been some optimism when it comes to aviation industry in recent months. In October, the first civilian aircraft landed at Khartoum’s International Airport since it was closed when the war broke out. It was taken over by the RSF in April 2023 and reopened in March last year.
Sudan Airways currently operates out of Port Sudan Airport in the north east of the country.
Sudan Airways just sent its A320 for maintenance in India
Sudan Airways operates a single Airbus A320-200 registered ST-MKW. The aircraft is 19 years’ old and entered service in 2007 with Vueling and has been with Sudan Airways since 2009. Initially, it was on lease from Comoro Islands Airline from October 2008 but was integrated into the Sudan Airways fleet a few months later. It is configured with 180 seats in an all-economy class layout.
According to information from Flightradar24, the plane was out of service from July 2025 until January 2026 undergoing maintenance in Hyderabad, India. Since its return, the plane has flown most frequently to Jeddah, Riyadh and Cairo – areas where there is a prominent Sudanese diaspora.
Featured image: Michel Gilliand | Wikimedia Commons | Airliners.net
