First civilian aircraft lands at Khartoum Airport since outbreak of the Sudanese Civil War
October 19, 2025
Khartoum International Airport, serving the Sudanese capital, has finally reopened after a nearly two-year hiatus. Being taken over by a paramilitary group in April 2023 at the start of the Sudanese Civil War, the airport was closed for operations until March this year. This weekend, the first civilian flight touched down at the airport for the first time since the facility was reopened.
Local reports indicate that this was not a revenue service, but was a test as the carrier and airport prepare for the resumption of commercial flights. This follows the arrival of a private jet in July at Khartoum International Airport, which was carrying army general and de-facto leader of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
First civilian flight lands at Khartoum Airport
On Saturday, 18 October, an aircraft operated by Sudan’s privately-owned Badr Airlines landed at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan. Closed since the start of the Civil War, the event was met with celebration across social media. It is not immediately clear where the plane originated from, but Flightradar24 data suggests it could have departed from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), arriving in Khartoum that afternoon.
Khartoum International Airport has received today a Sudanese Badr Airlines aircraft , the first civilian plane to land at the airport in more than two years.#Sudan #Aviation pic.twitter.com/GHYBOU4JEV
— Sudan News 🇸🇩 (@Sudan_tweet) October 18, 2025
In a statement on social media, Badr Airlines said, “Badr Airlines returns to make history at Khartoum International Airport. With pride and honour, we return as the first Sudanese airline to land on Khartoum International Airport. It was an unforgettable historical moment as our dear guests enjoyed an exceptional experience admidst an atmosphere filled with happiness and joy.”
Per footage from the airline itself, the aircraft was its sole Bombardier CRJ-200 registered ST-BAT, which is nearly 20 years old. It received the plane earlier this year. The airline also operates a fleet of three 737-800s and two 737-500s.
Closed since the start of the Civil War
The airport was taken over by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, in April 2023 when war broke out between two factions of the military government of Sudan: the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). SAF regained control of the airport in March and has since started work to reopen it for commercial service. Since the war, civilian air operations have been concentrated at Port Sudan Airport.
Latest: Sudan — airline jets at Khartoum Intl Airport appear to have been destroyed amid the ongoing military coup currently under way in the capital. Saudia Airbus A330 and SkyUp Boeing 737 on fire at the airport amid heavy gunfire & blasts #Sudan pic.twitter.com/VW6SflNgvR
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) April 15, 2023
Work to restore connectivity to Khartoum began a few months ago, as the airport’s facilities were largely destroyed. Several aircraft have also been either damaged or destroyed, including a Saudia Airbus A330 aircraft. By mid-August, the airport’s runway was deemed ready, with work progressing well on its terminals, arrival halls and power and water lines. Earlier this month, it emerged that electricity was restored.
🟦 أعلنت «سلطة الطيران المدني السوداني» عن إعادة التيار الكهربائي لمركز الملاحة الجوية بالخرطوم، بعد انقطاع دام طويلًا جراء الحرب، مؤكدة أن الخطوة تأتي ضمن الاستعدادات للعودة التدريجية للعاصمة.#Sudan_War_Updates pic.twitter.com/TTIxv7phcq
— Sudan War Updates (@sudan_war) October 12, 2025
Prior to its closure, Khartoum had links to places across Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya and Libya. It also had connections to the Middle East, with destinations in Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Cirium data shows. At the end of February, Badr Airlines also launched a twice-weekly route to London Gatwick with a Boeing 737, which, of course, was short-lived as the RSF took over the airport a few months later.
Featured image: motive56 | Adobe Stock
