Sudan Airways

History

Sudan Airways was formed in February 1946, making it one of Africa's oldest airlines, and operated as Sudan's state-owned flag carrier from its Khartoum hub for decades, at various points flying to destinations across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. A 2007 partial privatization saw Kuwait's AREF Investment Group and Sudanese firm Faiha Holding acquire a combined 70% stake, but the government reacquired full ownership by 2012 after the private investors exited. The airline, like Sudanese civil aviation broadly, has been devastated by the civil war that erupted in April 2023, which saw fighting at Khartoum International Airport destroy or damage dozens of aircraft (Sudan Airways' own fleet among them) and shut the airport for years, forcing the carrier into a fragile, still-unfolding recovery.

Current Operations

Sudan Airways' operational status is fluid and difficult to verify with confidence given Sudan's ongoing civil war since April 2023. The conflict caused severe destruction at the airline's Khartoum hub — reporting indicates roughly 28 aircraft were destroyed or damaged at Khartoum International Airport during 2023 fighting, and the airport itself was closed for an extended period. Sudan Airways reportedly resumed a limited Port Sudan-Khartoum route around 1 February 2026 as Khartoum's airport began reopening in stages after nearly three years of disruption, and the airline has stated intentions to rebuild its fleet as the government tallies war damages, but as of 2026 its scheduled international network, fleet size, and overall operational capacity remain substantially diminished and reports should be treated as provisional given the unstable security situation.

Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

Serves These Profiled Airports8

Sample Routes2